Generally, printers seemed unaffected on learning that the guts of their print systems have been built in an environmentally friendly setting, or that the masses of paper test printed at drupa are being recycled. No, what really matters is whether the systems print well and efficiently.
At the Sustainability in Printing conference in Philadelphia last month, caterwauling green advocates inveighed against printers who remarked that total carbon footprint for projects on recycled paper is sometimes greater than on virgin fiber grades. Paper firms present were emboldened to note recycled paper eliminates availability of biomass fuel (bark), and may not be so green friendly.
The green movement is caught in a conundrum, where a bewildering array of certification come-ons might easily be confused with scams to assure non-profits their meal tickets. Environmental activists learned at the conference that the print buying public is confused by their green seals; and that they may be complicit in “green washing” (exaggerating ordinary practices as significantly sustainable), “green noise” (a cacophony of environmentalist one-upmanship) leading to green fatigue. Many customers want only the logo affixed, not a higher price tag. All this leaves the dogged printer to sort things out and calmly explain that the hype is more complex and nuanced than affixing a seal on the back of the printed project.
More on this and other thoughts from July Notebook.