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Office supply, procurement

Less printing, more energy efficient printers

Objectives

Green Value indicator

Eco footprint, energy intensity: When you really need to print, use recycled paper, eco-friendly toner and black ink. You can also reduce font size and make sure you are using an energy-efficient printer.

Explanation

When it comes to advertising about a project or a company, it is generally considered "greener" to send everything online rather than print it on paper. However, this is not necessarily always true.
Even though printed paper may not seem like the best option, the paper industry today takes extremely responsible measures in regard to production, distribution and recycling. The paper produced following the criteria of eco-effectiveness, is part of the virtuous and sustainable cycle of CO2, which continues to be stored also in wood and paper products. By recycling paper and extending the life of products made of paper, we help keep carbon out of the atmosphere for longer. And when new trees are planted, CO2 removal begins again (CEPI, FAO). According to FAOSTAT 2015, the percentage of wood destined for paper is only 13%. In Europe, it comes from planted forests managed according to the FAO Guidelines for Responsible Planted Forest Management, which are sources of environmentally friendly renewable energy. Various certifications guarantee its origin and real sustainability. Furthermore, paper is one of the few truly sustainable products if we think that it comes from wood, a natural and renewable material. According to Ecofys, the printing, paper and pulp sector is one of the least responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, with 1% of emissions compared to 29% of manufacturing industries. In Europe, each of us uses 156 kg of paper every year. This amount of paper produces 100 kg of CO2, or the amount we would produce traveling 800 km in a standard European car (European Commission, 2015). While it is true that 72% of European paper is recycled, it is equally true that virgin fibres are necessary for the production of some types of paper and to maintain the paper cycle, as recycled fibres degrade after several uses. This is why it is important to recycle the paper and make sure of the origin of the paper we buy. The electronics industry is responsible for 2% of global emissions, equal to those of the aviation sector worldwide (GeSI SMARTer2020: The Role of ICT in Driving a Sustainable Future (2015 report)). It also produces about 41 million tons of electronic waste from computers or smartphones (UNEP, 2015), which for the most part are not recyclable. According to Greenpeace, 'cloud' services in 2014 ranked sixth for energy needs worldwide, and they have skyrocketed to over 63% in 2020. According to Google, a single web search generates 200 milligrams of CO2. It may seem little but if we multiply by 1000 searches the CO2 production - 20 grams - is the same as a medium-sized car that travels 1 km. A Swedish study has calculated that reading on paper can result in 20% less than CO2 emissions compared to online reading. A person reading a paper newspaper in Europe consumes the equivalent of 28 kg of CO2 per year while an online reader for 30 minutes a day would consume 35 kg of CO2 (Swedish Royal Institute for Technology). To produce 200 kg of paper - average annual use of a European citizen - 500 kWh are required. The equivalent of keeping a computer on for 5 months. And when the computers are turned off, the servers consume an average of 4.5 kWh per year (Swedish Royal Institute for Technology).

Research done by Ohio State University found that students who read texts from computers find it more difficult to understand, consider the content less interesting and persuasive than students who read the same text on paper. It has also been proven that reading online decreases reading speed by 30% and that the reader tries to read as few words as possible from a computer screen and therefore also the comprehension and memorisation of contents decreases by 50% (Research by Ohio State University). The paper guarantees archived data a very long lifecycle unlike digital files which require continuous updating to ensure their integrity and the possibility of consultation. During 2007, the National Library of France had to invest a good 8 million euros to update the electronic formats used in the archives. Having said that, we can conclude by saying that when we address this topic, we have to consider several factors. On the one hand, we must make sure that the tools we choose (both paper, electronic devices and the use of the cloud) come from a virtuous production cycle, are preserved as best as possible, and disposed of in the least prejudicial way for the environment. On the other hand, if we apply what we have learned to our project’s documents, or to the creation of brochures and advertising of the project, we must consider the use we want to make of it. What’s the function of those documents? Also consider your target groups: for young people, it is easier to send emails or post publicity online, as they are most likely to be reached that way. For older people, on the other hand, it is easier to reach them using printed paper.
Let's not forget that documents, pamphlets and publicity that are kept in digital folders also consume energy.
Most of the time, there is a tendency to save all the versions of the pamphlets that have been developed, even those that are not used anymore. Are they necessary? If there is a definitive version, why are all the others kept in the folder? Aside from the fact that the accumulation of archives emits CO2, you could also make the mistake of sending the wrong version of the pamphlet. This can happen when there are too many archives and it is not clear which one is the final version. Keeping everything (all versions: new, old, good and bad) in the cloud can also carry consequences other than energy consumption and emissions. For example, documents saved on the cloud could be lost if a server burns out. Wouldn’t it be better to have everything printed?
It is true that it looks like it is more permanent in the cloud but printing it on recycled paper can provide extra security, as, even in the improbable case of losing the online data, there is still the paper version.
To sum up:

PROS/CONS of the action

Pros: Cons:

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Link to useful sources

GeSI SMARTer2020: the role of ICT in driving a sustainable future gesi.org
www.fao.org
HP Carbon Footprint Calculator for Printing www.hp.com
www.twosides.info
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