We all want to “go green,” but measuring the carbon footprint of your company, moving to wind power or replacing your carpeting with
hemp fibers just seems so extreme. The good news is that you can “go green” by making some basic marketing changes that you are probably
considering anyway. This means switching to (or increasing your use of) 1:1 printing.
1:1 printing is green printing? Absolutely.
We tend to think of print personalization in terms of boosting response rates and making marketing communications more relevant, but
sometimes good things come in twos. In this case, 1:1 printing greens your print marketing, too.
How is 1:1 printing green?
1.
Digital output technology is socially responsible. 1:1 printing is output from digital presses. These presses use no process chemicals
(although liquid ink presses do use mild, low-impact solvents in their ink formulations). They use no film or plates. No spray powders
or wash-up chemicals. Start-up waste is minimal—10 sheets or less, compared to 100 or more sheets for most offset presses.
2.
1:1 printing reduces postal waste. High percentages of junk mail never reach their destinations because the focus is on being cheap,
not accurate. This wastes astonishing numbers of trees. It also wastes the fossil fuel used to produce the paper, envelopes, ink and
coating, as well as to run the presses and “distribute” the documents to the trashcan.
3. It reduces trashcan waste. Even if
documents reach their destinations, most people throw away most direct mail before opening it. So the result is the same—wasting precious
environmental resources. By personalizing your documents, you are increasing the chances that your recipients will open and read them.
In the end, those documents might still end up in the trash, but at least people read them first.
4. It reduces overall print
volume. Effective personalization often starts with culling the database for the most likely respondents. This reduces the number
of documents that you print, mail and deliver at the outset. Plus, if you replace a large, static mailing package with a streamlined,
personalized piece, you are reducing the number of pages you send. This minimizes the environmental impact of the campaign even further.
So,
yes, 1:1 printing is green. You start out with an environmentally responsible printing technology. Then, instead of throwing it at
the wall like spaghetti and seeing what sticks, you send out smaller, more environmentally friendly volumes. Not only are you helping
the environment, but you are increasing the effectiveness of those programs at the same time.
You’ll save energy, cut waste and increase ROI with 1:1 printing.
