PrintGreen brings together key organisations to provide clear, fact-based insights into print’s environmental impact.
A transformative initiative is launching in the UK to redefine the conversation around print sustainability. PrintGreen is set to bridge the gap between perception and reality by equipping brands, agencies, and media professionals with accurate, fact-based insights into print’s environmental impact.
Developed through collaboration between key industry players – including The Strategic Mailing Partnership, MarketReach, Two Sides, BPIF, DMA, IPIA, Nutshell Creative, Webmart, CarbonQuota, Paragon and Tradeprint – PrintGreen is built on facts, not fiction. Central to this initiative is access to a purpose-designed carbon calculator, enabling organisations to assess the carbon impact of their printed formats with accuracy and confidence.
A unified voice
Despite the wealth of sustainability efforts within the print industry, a unified, clear and well-articulated message has been missing.
Tom Maskill, Chair of PrintGreen and Chief Client Officer at Webmart, explains how PrintGreen is setting out to change that: “The print industry lacks a single, authoritative message on sustainability – one that resonates clearly with brands and agencies. The disconnect between the valuable work being done, and how the industry is perceived by those who buy print and mail, is exactly what PrintGreen aims to address.
“For too long, print has been fighting an uphill battle against misconceptions and outdated narratives. The reality is that print can be a sustainable, highly effective communications channel – one that offers transparency, a circular economy model, and real accountability when it comes to environmental impact. PrintGreen will give our industry a powerful, united voice, arming brands and agencies with the truth about print’s role in a greener future.”
By harnessing the collective strength of the industry, PrintGreen will work to ensure print is judged fairly, strategically valued, and embraced as a sustainable media channel.
Challenging misconceptions
Misconceptions about print’s environmental impact persist, leading to unfounded sustainability concerns that negatively affect the industry. Research by Two Sides indicates that greenwashing costs the print, paper, and mailing industry an estimated €337 million annually across Europe.
Richard Armstrong, Partner at MSQ Sustain, comments: “Brands are moving quickly to use sophisticated ways to measure and reduce carbon in their media and marketing.
“Sustainable, circular, and low-carbon are becoming the gatekeeper criteria for whether a channel is invested in or not. PrintGreen is a timely and crucial initiative to foreground the sustainable credentials of mail and showcase the great strides already made in the sector.”
Sophie Pemberton, Senior Engagement Director at Ad Net Zero, adds: “PrintGreen is an exciting development towards emissions measurement standardisation and ensuring meaningful emissions reduction across an entire media channel, from production to deployment. It’s a brilliant example of using accurate data to challenge misconceptions and leveraging sustainability as a strategic advantage.”
Empowering decision-makers
A key feature of PrintGreen is its free carbon calculation tool, developed in partnership with CarbonQuota. This resource allows users to assess the carbon footprint of a campaign by selecting paper type, weight, pagination, volume, and mailing specifications to receive an instant impact assessment.
Ben Briggs, Managing Partner at Join the Dots, believes making this tool available is critical to shifting perceptions: “Understanding the true environmental impact of print media is essential for the marketing industry to make informed decisions that balance effectiveness with sustainability. PrintGreen addresses the critical gap in accurate environmental data, helping brands and agencies dispel misconceptions, uphold sustainability standards, and enhance the overall appeal of print media.”
Indeed, Tom highlights that Webmart’s own sustainability-focused tool, launched in 2023, has offset more than 3,000 tonnes of carbon and led to a sustained increase in new client wins – demonstrating the power of such initiatives. PrintGreen aims to replicate this success industry-wide, equipping businesses with the credibility and tools to thrive in a sustainability-conscious market.
This ambition is very much shared by PrintGreen supporter Whistl, with its Head of Product Development, Jennifer Rufus, commenting: “PrintGreen is a great resource, pushing print as a credible eco-friendly alternative to digital, with a brilliant tool giving customers guidance about the carbon footprint of their campaigns, at a time when sustainability is top of everyone’s agenda.
“This is very much aligned to Whistl’s own sustainability agenda to be Net Zero by 2045, so being part of the supply chain it was a no brainer in terms of being a ‘supporter’. Working in partnership with PrintGreen is a fantastic opportunity for us to further help support our customers better understand their carbon footprint for direct mail or door drops, through use of the carbon calculator and the additional ROI benefit, encouraging continued use of these sustainable media channels.”
The Future of PrintGreen
The first phase of PrintGreen will focus on commercial print and direct mail, with ambitions to expand into point-of-sale, packaging, and other print sectors. Long-term plans include expanding beyond the UK, first into Europe and then globally.
Justin Cairns, Head of Offline Production at Ogilvy UK, reinforces the initiative’s importance: “As organisations focus on reducing the environmental impact of their business, their media choices and how they are produced will come under increased scrutiny. Defining the environmental footprint and sustainability for physical print will provide brands, agencies, printers, and the wider industry with real advice and choice on managing and reducing the impact of their physical communications.”
Ultimately, PrintGreen’s vision is to inform brands and agencies that print is a sustainable communications medium – one with a low carbon impact and based on renewable materials. By uniting the industry, PrintGreen seeks to position print as the sustainable communication channel of choice, ensuring its value is recognised and embraced for the future.
As non-profit organisation, PrintGreen is reliant on funding from the industry to expand its reach and deliver on its goals for the benefit of the entire print industry, if you are interested in supporting it and being part of this exciting collaboration then get in touch: printgreen.org