Solopress managing director Simon Cooper used a presentation at the Print Show to announce the launch of Forests Love Print, an initiative which allows printers to go on the front foot with environmental messaging. The simple core message he explains that far from destroying forests, the printing industry is responsible for the expansion of forests in Europe and has a strong vested interest in doing so.
Cooper acknowledges the work that Two Sides has done in collecting the data about expansion of forest cover in Europe, but also that this has not shifted the dial in perceptions of the industry’s impact on sustainability. Two Sides has aimed at changing the mindset of major corporations which deliver greenwashing messages, while the Forests Love Print initiative is aimed at influencing a younger generation of print purchasers frequently from smaller businesses.
“Customers can order print that has the FSC logo, one of the hundreds of messages that we as consumers interact with to consider the environment, asking us not to ‘print out the receipt’ for example. We wanted an easily understood message rather than having a logo like FSC that does really mean anything to consumers. We wanted a slogan that means exactly what it says,” Cooper explains.
A separate website, with no direct connection to Solopress has been set up and provides the information to support what the slogan claims. It will point to other resources, including data from Two Sides, that allows users to explore the real sustainability story behind printing.
“The Two Sides approach has been defensive, taking on greenwashing messages when they are made,” he says. “Forests Love Print is something that we can add to any client’s work at no cost and which is something that we can bring to younger people.”
Solopress does not want to own the campaign, hence the unbranded independent website, and will encourage other printers to also offer the messaging on the print they produce. Solopress will offer to apply, the message without charge. It is about delivering a positive message about printing Cooper says. “GenZ are starting to be aware of the environmental impact of large language models and that the printing industry can be better for the environment. This is about reinforcing that idea.”
