Scientists agree the world is getting warmer and we are approaching the point of no return. We all have a part to play in climate change, and if we are going to carry on enjoying our globe for generations, we need to do something. We can all take positive steps forward to reduce our carbon footprint. Your offline marketing campaigns no longer have to be damaging to the environment. You can now make your paper stock carbon neutral with carbon balancing.
What is carbon balancing?
Carbon balancing is a way of capturing the unavoidable emissions caused in the manufacturing process of paper stock. This is done by calculating how much carbon is produced when making your paper stock. Then we generate a surcharge. The surcharge goes directly to the World Land Trust. The World Land Trust uses this surcharge to help protect tropical forests that will absorb the carbon from the atmosphere that would otherwise contribute to the climate change problem.
World Land Trust
The World Land Trust is an international conservation charity that has launched this carbon balancing scheme. They achieve this by the preservation of ecologically important standing forests that are under threat of deforestation. The World Land Trust has the backing from patrons such as Sir David Attenborough, Steve Backshall, David Gower & Chris Packham.
Carbon, The Good, The Bad and the ugly
Carbon is in carbon dioxide and is a greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gas holds the heat from the sun close to the Earth. Without greenhouse gases, the Earth would be a big ball of ice. However, there is more carbon dioxide in the air now than there has ever been in the past 800,000 years! This increase is due to the amount of fossil fuels that are being burnt every day. Did you know that burning just 6.3 gallons of petrol releases 20lbs of carbon into the atmosphere?
Enter trees and plants, the world’s forest are humongous vacuum cleaners sucking up all that carbon. Plants use the carbon in the atmosphere to grow. This process is called photosynthesis and is vital to controlling carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The worlds largest rainforest the Amazon rainforest absorbs 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide a year. Because more carbon is in the air, the plants are consuming more. When these trees are cut down and burnt due to deforestation, it creates a carbon bomb as all that carbon is released back into the atmosphere.
Khe Nuoc Trong
The World Land Trust protects these vital tropical forests like the Khe Nuoc Trong forest in Vietnam. Vietnam is one of the most biologically diverse countries on Earth and Vietnam’s economy is growing at an exponential rate and is putting pressure on the 50,000 acres of the forest of Khe Nuoc Trong. This forest could capture approximately 50,000 tons of carbon every year if protected, plus continues to house 41 threatened species of animals. Protecting these forests ensures the continued health of the planet.
Your offline marketing campaigns
There are many benefits to carbon offsetting your paper stock apart from helping to fight climate change. Because people are now talking about climate change, it’s essential as a brand to show you are taking steps to help combat the problem. When you carbon balance the paper stock for let us say a direct mail campaign. PSE will work out a surcharge for you to offset the carbon. When this surcharge is paid, a unique traceable certificate is produced. This certificate will have your job number on so you know which jobs are balanced, how much carbon dioxide has been offset and the square meterage of threatened tropical forest will be protected. But you also get a unique logo.
The Logo
The logo is where all the marketing power is held. Again this is unique to the job so it can only be used on the Direct Mail job that has been offset. The logo can then be printed on the job. By doing this, the advantages are twofold.
- Letting your customers know that you are doing your bit. The logo means something and a small message saying what the emblem means will give your customers more faith and trust in your company
- Cheaper postage rates. Because you are using sustainable methods to advertise your brand. You will qualify for Royal Mails sustainable postage discounts. This (depending on the volume of mail you are sending) could save you thousands.
The cost
The pros of carbon balancing your paper stock massively outway the cost. This is because the price is tiny. The cost of balancing the following job would only cost £6.50. 80,000 DL size (99mm x 210mm) leaflets printed on 150gm2 Claro silk paper stock. £6.50 vs potentially thousands of pounds saved on postage, it’s a no brainer! Plus you are doing your bit for the environment, gaining trust and praise for your brand, it’s a win-win situation.
Find out more about Carbon balancing by clicking here and find out how PSE can help do your part against climate change.
