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“Go Green, Go Paperless” is a Misleading Claim
Going Paperless? We here at Adventure Sports Journal believe in the power of printed magazines and books. Printed media is an important way to get people to slow down and unplug from their digital devices. We believe it’s good for mental health, literacy, democracy and yes … the environment. We have no plans of going all digital.
The “Go Green, Go Paperless” public relations slogans of some large corporations have done a lot to hurt independent publications like Adventure Sports Journal. That fact is, paper is expensive and most corporations’ motivation to go digital isn’t based on saving the planet, it’s based on increasing their bottom line.
A recent Anti-greenwashing campaign led by the non-profit Two Sides resulted in over 810 companies removing their anti-paper statements. You can learn more about it here.
“We know that consumers are increasingly aware of the impact their choices have on the environment, and that environmental claims made by companies they trust can influence their decision making. All too often, these claims are not based in fact. Because these organizations have such an expansive reach, their greenwashing claims have a damaging effect on consumer perceptions of paper – perceptions that threaten the livelihoods of more than 7 million people in the U.S. and Canadian printing, paper and mail sector,” says Two Sides North America President Kathi Rowzie.
We hope readers will balance their digital consumption with printed books and magazines. Grassroots print magazines like ASJ provide a valuable voice, get people off their screens, and in the long run might even help save the planet.
Here are some common myths about paper:
- Going paperless saves forests
- Paper is a wasteful product
- Paper is bad for the environment
- Electronic communication is better for the environment
- Paper production is a major cause of global greenhouse gas emissions
- Only recycled paper should be used to make new paper
- Paper production consumes an excessive amount of water
- Digital is always the preferred means of communication
Thanks to Two Sides for their work in helping bust these popular myths.