Ensuring your marketing efforts are environmentally friendly is no longer an afterthought. Companies are becoming increasingly aware of how important it is to stay eco-friendly while driving profit. Here are 4 ways to integrate sustainability into your print marketing:

1. Choosing a Sustainable Paper

Speaks for itself, doesn’t it? First and foremost, ensure that the paper you’re printing on is consistent with your sustainable messaging. A thick, textured sheet will give the impression of being more wasteful than a thin, uncoated sheet. Yes, 100% Recycled paper is an option that you could consider. However, there’s another option that’s gaining in popularity across Canada. AgriPapers are made with agricultural waste from crops such as hemp, wheat, and sugar cane. These papers often allow you to reduce deforestation and carbon emissions at a more reasonable price than 100% Recycled.

2. Showcase Your Environmental Savings

If you’re savings trees and reducing CO2 emissions by using a more sustainable paper, it’s worth talking about! Ask your designer to create an “EcoIcon” for printed marketing materials. Once you confirm the quantity you’re printing, ask your printer how many trees and how much CO2 you’re saving by using an eco-friendly stock. Put those numbers in your EcoIcon and let everyone know you’re doing your part.

3. Highly Targeted Mailing Lists

Sending out unaddressed ad mail can be an effective way of reaching new customers. However, if your list isn’t targeted enough, it’s also a surefire way of wasting a lot of paper and envelopes. Improving your targeting methods will not only reduce your paper waste, but it will also improve your ROI. For instance, if you send out 10,000 ads with a 1% response rate, you’d receive 100 leads. However, if you send out 2,500 ads with a 6% response rate, you’d have 150 leads and spend less on mailing.

4. Get to Know Your Print Supplier

Every printing company does things a little differently – get to know if your print supplier views sustainability as a priority. Here are some of the key questions you’ll want to ask:

• Are you FSC-Certified?
• How does your company handle paper waste?
• Does your company use vegetable-based or petroleum-based inks?
• What do you do with used metal plates?
• Does your company generate any hazardous waste? If so, how’s it disposed of?