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Africa, communications supply, National Geographic, national geographic magazine, No Wonder You Love Paper, paper suppliers, Print Solutions, Print Solutions Magazine, responsible production, sharing science, South Africa, south africans, Sustainable development, Two Sides, United States
In the U.S. on May 29th, Two Sides with the help of the country’s magazine and newspaper publishers launched an Ad campaign promoting the sustainability of print and paper. The campaign is set to encourage responsible production of paper but also to create awareness amongst the people that paper manufacturing does have environmental impacts that are in fact good. Two Sides is a non-profit organization with membership spanning the entire graphic communications supply chain, from paper suppliers to printers to magazine and newspaper publishers. They are committed to continuous sustainability improvement across industries and correcting misconceptions about the maintaining of paper and print by sharing science-based information from well-known and trustworthy sources.
One of the first ads promoting No Wonder You Love Paper ad appeared in the National Geographic magazine. Inc. magazine had the first ad that appeared digitally. As of the latest several prints have appeared in Print Solutions and Gravure magazine. The campaign follows a similar successful campaign in Europe that anticipates $10 million worth of free ad placements in leading magazines and newspapers.
However, this campaign has taken globally and publishers in countries, like South Africa, have caught on to the phenomenon of the New No Wonder You Love Paper Ad Campaign brought forward by Two Sides. The campaign having such a good impact creating awareness on the environment could help South Africa’s new environmental policy, as the country wants to ensure that today’s development is aimed at improving the quality of life and protecting the environment. South Africa want to lead the people along the path of sustainable development and ensure that all South Africans have an environment that caters for their wellbeing and joining this campaign or creating an identical campaign could be a good start.
Similar to Two Sides President, Phil Riebel’s views on Americans having misconceptions about the effects of paper-based communications on the environment, South Africa also shares those misconceptions and don’t realize the advantages of paper mills. South Africa show the same statistics as America in the fact that 65% of paper produced each year is collected and recycled. Statistics of an increase of trees growing is also similar as 260 00 trees are planted in excess every single day in S.A. and only 9% is harvested annually. The National Council for Air and Steam have reports that show the plantation mills in South Africa lock up 900 million tons of CO2 and that CO2 would be 5% higher without them.
As Phil Riebel says, “When people are aware of the facts, they can not only enjoy the many types of printed media they encounter every day, but also can feel good knowing that by choosing ink on paper they are supporting one of the most sustainable products on the planet.” As research with Two Sides shows that 70 percent of polled U.S. consumers prefer to read print and paper rather than reading off a computer or tablet. South Africa probably shares similar views and in the end all types of communications media have environmental impacts, and we have the responsibility to reduce those impacts wherever we can.
The No Wonder You Love Paper ads feature people enjoying magazines and newspaper in their everyday lives and offers facts about the sustainability of print and paper. The Campaign is supported by a consumer website, http://www.youlovepaper.info, that includes additional facts and myths about the sustainability of print and paper, a short video on paper and forests, a fun quiz and the opportunity to win a prize for creating a short “fun with paper” video.
Publishers in the U.S. are interested in participating in the ad campaign and maybe South Africa should look into using this campaign or something similar in order to help further our development as a country as Phil Riebel was very appreciative of the interest that his campaign had sparked here.
For more information:
Two Sides UK: www.twosides.info
Two Sides U.S.: www.twosides.us
Contacts:
Two Sides UK, Martyn Eustace, e: mje@twosides.info,
Two Sides U.S., Phil Riebel, e: pnr@twosides.info