The campaign features the attractiveness and sustainability of magazines and newspapers. Research by Two Sides has revealed consumers are surprised to learn that:
• Almost 70% of paper across Europe is collected and recycled. In fact it’s one of the most recycled materials of all.
• Forests in Europe, which provide wood for making into paper and many other widely used materials, are 30% larger than in 1950. In fact they’re increasing by 1.5 million football pitches every year!
Martyn Eustace, Director of Two Sides, comments, “This is a really important campaign which is urgently needed to correct consumer misunderstandings. Our research tells us that magazine and newspaper readers are unaware of the industry’s great record on recycling and that European forests, where the majority of raw material is sourced, are actually growing in size. 80% of UK consumers prefer reading from paper than reading off a screen (Source: Two Sides/IPSOS research of 5000 European Consumers, September, 2011) and we want to let them know the facts about the industry’s record on important environmental issues”.
Barry McIlheney, CEO of the Professional Publishers Association (PPA) states: “We live in a multi-media world and readers now look for a choice of media channels. Print is still vital for magazine publishers and offers a unique reading experience that will live on. We want to make sure that, in choosing a printed magazine, readers fully understand that print media also offers a natural reading experience and can be a sustainable way to read”.
David Newell, Director of the Newspaper Publishers Association (NPA) comments, “newspapers still dominate the news media landscape and we need to ensure that our readers understand the environmental facts concerning the paper we use. We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously and this campaign helps to get the good messages about forests and recycling into the public domain”.
The campaign will continue to run throughout 2012 and is supported by a new website, www.youlovepaper.info which sets out the environmental facts about the industry, features a fun quiz and offers the opportunity to win prizes in a ‘share your paper experience’ video competition.
About Two Sides
Two Sides says: “Two Sides is an initiative by companies from the Graphic Communication Value Chain including forestry, pulp, paper, inks and chemicals, pre press, press, finishing, publishing and printing. Membership spans Europe, the United States and Australia. Our common goal is to promote the responsible production and use of print and paper, and dispel common environmental misconceptions by providing users with verifiable information on why print and paper is an attractive, practical and sustainable communications medium.”
