Danny Doogan, Director of Marketing and Sustainability at Denmaur Paper Media, explains the vital role Two Sides plays in increasing knowledge about print.

This article was written by Sam Upton for issue seven of The Page. Subscribe here.

The more people know about print and its sustainability, the more popular it will be.

What does your sustainability role at Denmaur involve?

A lot of my work goes into demonstrating the traceability of paper, how it’s made and its raw materials. You can trace a paper product back to the tree that it’s come from, in terms of what type of tree it is and where in the world it’s been harvested. Our clients are looking for ways to enhance their own sustainability profile or environmental profile through the products they use, which involves a lot of work with FSC, PEFC, EUTR and ISO audits. We also supply services such as traceability, timber legality, as well as Carbon Balancing our paper products.

What help do you receive from Two Sides?

Two Sides provide research and facts through their Myths and Facts booklet. Improving consumer perceptions through advertising in the national press is crucial. That helps us as a company and as an industry, and also helps the marketing industry invest in paper as a means of communication.

How do you use Two Sides resources?

When our clients ask about the environmental attributes of paper, we often refer them to the Two Sides website or take information and pass it on to them, such as how much European forests are growing or the low environmental impact paper has. We also use the facts for our own social media and advertising campaigns.

What other resources would you find useful?

A video demonstrating the recyclability of paper, showing its different lifecycles and the different products it can be, would be very useful. A short video that can be used as an email footer, within a presentation or on a website would really help to get the message out to the general public that paper isn’t an evil product and it’s not responsible for the deforestation of rainforests.

How important is the public’s perception of print?

It’s a very significant factor. The more people know about print and its sustainability, the more popular it will be as a communications medium. As we move into a circular economy, where resources are becoming more scarce and we need to make more use of what we have, paper is one of the best examples of a circular product – and it should be celebrated as such.

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