You may think that the winner of the most environmentally-friendly title in the battle between digital marketing and print marketing is obvious. Those poor trees, right?
Well, you may be surprised that it isn't near as clear-cut as that.
The environmental impact of digital marketing
Throughout our day-to-day lives, we repeatedly get asked whether we would like to go paperless with our bills and bank statements and whether we would like to have our receipts emailed or texted. And in most cases, the reasons behind these messages imply that by doing so, we are saving the environment. Yet, the cost-saving implications for the business will often have a more prominent role in introducing these kinds of initiatives.
The thing is, communicating electronically is harmful to the environment too.
First of all, consider the materials computers and other electronic devices are made from.
They require a lot of plastic and other artificial materials. Plus, many electrical components require rare metals that have to be mined – and there are only finite resources.
And, at the other end of the device's life, these components must be disposed of somewhere. And unfortunately, that is often not done with the environment in mind. Then, consider the equipment's actual use and the electricity required. Finally, it's easy to overlook all of the technology and digital infrastructure in the background when we use the internet. Web server farms, data centres, cellular networks, and so much more are running 24/7.
To help put the amount of energy involved in running this infrastructure into perspective, it can be helpful to know that sending one email results in around one gram of CO2 being released into the atmosphere. So when the experts crunched the figures, they worked out that this meant if everyone in the UK sent one less email a day it would reduce emissions by the equivalent of 811,522 flights to Madrid.
That email campaign doesn't seem so environmentally friendly anymore, does it?
The environmental impact of print marketing
While digital technology has been evolving, so has print technology. The reality is that the pulp, print and paper industry accounts for 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which makes the sector one of the lowest of all industrial emitters – half the emissions generated by those data centres. In addition, the paper industry now plants three times more trees than it cuts down each year, working hard to maintain and increase forests and woodlands worldwide, with an area the equivalent of 1500 football pitches being planted every day. The amount of harmful chemicals in print has dramatically reduced (we use vegetable inks); greener modes of transportation and delivery are available; The industry is recycling of as many materials as possible to cut waste and emissions.
Print companies are increasingly aware of their environmental impact and are taking measures to reduce it. For instance, We only print on FSC papers, which come from responsibly-managed plantations. We maximise the amount of paper used in production, cutting down your paper usage considerably and making a massive saving in costs and waste. In addition, we reduce the impact of postage by tailoring the postage service to your needs securing discounts and using the most environmentally friendly option. (see your credentials)
A new guide from Royal Mail Marketreach explains the sustainable benefits of mail and how those benefits can be boosted by the right choice of materials and suppliers. To download the guide, go to www.marketreach.co.uk/resource/using-mail-more-sustainably
So, which is greener?
There is no clear-cut answer here, I'm afraid. Neither print nor digital marketing is "green". Of course, both have environmental costs – just like everything we do – but its likely, that print isn't anywhere near as bad as you were thinking.