Chris Dickman (bio)

It's doubtful that at any point in the design process you gave a thought to the environmental impact of the paper you'd specified. Even less what the environmental and social practices of the paper company were. What a concept. But those days are over, with both designers and their clients now hyper-sensitive to such issues. Sure, we still have a soft spot for paper. But for many, designing for digital media has become, if not the dominant aspect of their portfolio, one that has seen growth in an era when demand for print-based work has stagnated. And when it does come time to design for print, designers are increasingly sensitive not just about the impact of the paper they choose but about the environmental policies and social engagement of the paper companies themselves.

Pulp and paper production has historically been among the most resource-intensive and polluting of all manufacturing industries. The bad news is that half the world's forests have already been cleared or burned and the vast majority of what remains has been seriously degraded. When you consider that almost half of the industrial wood harvest is used to make paper, the role of paper companies in the stewardship of this dwindling resource is of vital importance. The production of paper also consumes a staggering amount of water and energy, generates large quantities of waste and has been responsible for significant air and water pollution. But don't get depressed just yet. The good news is that for some years now the industry has been working to turn the boat around and in some cases has made surprising progress.

Here at Graphics.com we receive a steady flow of (email) press releases from the paper industry and try to keep our eye on all the major suppliers, given the important role paper still plays in the design process. Below are some of the recent announcements that caught our attention.

Appleton Coated
Appleton Coated is known for its Utopia brand of coated papers, among them the Forest Stewardship Council-certified U1X:Green and U2:XG, both manufactured with extra post-consumer recovered fiber (20% and 30% respectively) and electricity generated via renewable energy. The firm's site now has a Utopia Green Zone area, which provides quite a bit of general information about the environmental impacts of paper and printing, as well as making a case for the benefits of its Utopia line, notably with a handful of customer stories.

Paper companies have to not only convince designers that thir products are "green" but help them sell their clients on paper remaining a viable marketing alternative to online. To this end, Appleton Coated recented created the Print With Purpose publication, "designed to provide insight and inspiration to decision-makers involved in choosing print, and to all who play a role in its creation and execution." It was probably well received by the printing industry, which is struggling to remain essential as a medium to drive purchasing decisions, increasingly being relegated to the secondary role of simply getting people's attention and subsequently sending them online. The publication, a spread of which is shown above, can be requested by calling 1-800-663-1813.

It's a venerable tradition for paper suppliers to provide design awards for creative work using their products. In this vein, Appleton Coated recently announced the winners of its 2009 U B the Judge contest, which were printed all, or in part, on Utopia or Curious Collection papers. The winners were chosen based on "excellence in concept, design and execution," which is all very nice. But it's notable that the next round of the contest will be known as U360, with its goal being to "meet the changing marketplace head on and celebrate the vital role print plays in driving marketing results." It's tough out there.

Sappi Fine Paper
Ideas that Matter is an annual grant program that's now in its tenth year which, as Sappi puts it, "supports and transforms the creative ideas of designers into a powerful force for social good." No small task, but to date the program has awarded more than $9 million in grants to designers who perform pro bono work for nonprofit organizations, in the domain of social and environmental issues. The 16 grant recipients of the 10th iteration were recently announced. Winners ranged from tiny shops to titans like Pentagram, with project organizations spanning everything from the International Planned Parenthood Federation to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. It's worth visiting the site to check out the details of past projects.

Domtar
Domtar makes the claim that its EarthChoice line of paper is "the largest family of environmentally responsible papers ever assembled." That may well be case, given that the firm recently announced that it had sold its one millionth ton of FSC-certified paper. A sense of the size of the paper market is reflected in the fact that Domtar alone operates more than 40 FSC-certified sites, including 11 paper mills, three market pulp mills and 14 offsite converting operations. Mind boggling.

Neenah Paper
Neenah has been moving itself in an environmentally-friendly direction for some time now, via FSC-certified paper and the purchase of large amounts of "green" power. Its efforts were recently acknowledged with a 2009 national Green Power Leadership Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Neenah Green area of its site provides some good material, notably a customizable presentation that designers can show clients to demonstrate the virtues of using recycled papers. But what really caught my attention was a release citing a new initiative in which Neenah has partnered with two non-profit environmental groups in an effort to preserve the rainforest of Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula. Although the 1,500 acres in question is rather small, it remains a worthwhile gesture, which hopefully can be expanded.

YUPO
Of course, you could reduce the impact of paper by simply no longer using it. One alternative is YUPO, which describes itself as the world's largest manufacturer of synthetic papers. Yes, these are oil based, but the firm claims its products provide significant "eco-benefits" when compared to paper. While you may never have heard it, YUPO has been around for decades and supplies a range of products used in the packaging industry as well as by mainstream designers. As it happens, YUPO recently sang the virtues of its products for use in packaging, since they're waterproof, resist stains and chemicals, and are durable, tear and scratch resistant.

The Future
Is our long love affair with paper in peril? Can we continue to rely on tree-based producrs, given that annual global paper consumption continues to rise? Is conservation the answer or should we be moving to alternatives, such as those provided by YUPO? Will the rise of digital publishing and marketing solve the problem? Or are we all simply doomed? Beats me.

Chris Dickman
Founding Editor, Graphics.com