Doctors say you should celebrate something every day; it’s good for the health! Alright we don’t know if doctors really say that, but we sure do! Today, the thing to celebrate is International Print Day. This is the day that we get to celebrate paper, print, and everything that comes with them.
In order to fully appreciate paper and print, try to imagine a world without them. Instead of hand-written letters you receive just another email in your already cluttered inbox. The photos that you used to hang on your walls and desks are now just bare, empty spots. Seems a little cold doesn’t it? Whether you want to admit or not. Print is a crucial and happy part of life, and we are proud to celebrate it.
Every day critics argue against print and its sustainability. We are here to tell a different story. Here are three myths that are retold much too often.
Myth 1: Print is Bad for the Environment
I’m sure you have heard this one many times, but it’s simply not true. In fact, according to the Swedish Royal Institute for Technology reading a newspaper can consume 20% less carbon than viewing news online. This means that print in some cases is actually better for the environment, especially when it is properly recycled.
Maybe you are thinking, well what about the fossil fuels that are burned to make paper and print products? Only 0.29 percent of pollution was caused by printing chemicals released. And in the upcoming years, this number is projected to decrease, according to chooseprint.com. If you are worried about the environment, eliminating print isn’t the way to go. In fact, with print you can feel good about the environment and your role in protecting it.
Myth 2: Printing Destroys Forests
Quite the opposite actually. When people think about paper being made, they think of giant logs being chewed up and spit out as thousands of sheets of paper. In all actuality, paper is made from the off cuts and scraps left behind by the timber industry. Only 11 percent of the trees harvested are used to create paper. Also the forests in the U.S. are consistently increasing, not decreasing.
That’s because with every tree that gets harvested, more are planted in its place. According to The State of America’s Forests, forest growth in the U.S. is 36 percent higher than the number of trees removed.
Myth 3: Print is Not Sustainable
Actually the latest research shows that print is one of the few industries that is truly sustainable.
“There aren’t many industries around that can aspire to becoming genuinely sustainable. The paper industry, however is one of them; it is inherently sustainable.” – Jonathan Porritt, Chairman of the UK Sustainability development commission and founder of Forum for the Future.The truth is print is not something to be afraid of. It is something to be celebrated. When you choose to print you can have confidence that you are making an environmentally friendly choice.
Here at Alexander’s we commit every day to produce products that are both clean and sustainable for our Earth. A world without print is a world that we don’t want to live in.
Join us and many others today in celebrating print. Appreciate your child’s art work hanging on your fridge, admire the photographs hanging on the wall, and take some time to flip through the well-worn pages of your favorite book. Online, share your favorite things about print under the hashtag #IPD16 and #PrintSmart.
