We speak to Ian Bates, marketing and partnership director of Two Sides UK about the growing popularity of paper and how printers can use this to their advantage
Could you first introduce yourself and your experience within the print and paper industries?
As marketing and partnership director, I am responsible for evolving our engagement with partners to ensure we provide engaging, educational and informative content and support. I have over 25 years working within the paper and paper packaging sectors working with some great companies including Metsä, AssiDomän, DS Smith Packaging and The Less Packaging Company. I have also been involved with a number of smaller, innovation-led start-up companies within the cellulose packaging arena.
Sustainability continues to be a huge topic within print, what do you think are some of the biggest changes you are seeing from print businesses regarding this at the moment?
ESG is now within the top three priorities for most leading businesses. Waste and single-use plastic, carbon reduction and making sure products are easy to collect, separate and recycle, being the main areas of focus. Probably top of the list, during these challenging economic times, is cost reduction and this can lead to some poor long-term decisions, which might not reduce environmental impacts.
Switching to digital billing for example or lightweight plastic packaging has detrimental consequences, which are not always captured in an LCA (Life-Cycle Analysis) Report. An LCA is a good starting point, but one also needs to consider other impacts including, health, social and matters relating to regeneration and biodiversity. This is why just comparing carbon emissions in isolation is not a holistic design process.
Consumers are continuing to see the recycling benefits of paper and paper-based products, but how much work do you think still needs to be done by brands and manufacturers to demonstrate the green credentials of print and paper-based solutions?
One of the best qualities of paper and paper-based products is that it’s highly recyclable. However, when we look at data from the consumer survey we conducted in 20231, we discovered only 18% of European consumers understood the recycling rate for paper exceeded 60%.
It’s actually 71%.2 This is why it’s important for brands and manufacturers to clearly state if their paper-based product, packaging, envelopes and more, is recyclable. If the consumer is told how to best dispose of it, in this case by recycling, they will adhere to the advice.
Two Sides has been actively involved with many businesses and events to promote its messages, what are some of your big campaigns you are currently working on and why are reports and live events so important to spreading the word about these initiatives?
The biggest campaign we run is Love Paper, a global consumer-focused campaign to improve perceptions and raise awareness of the sustainability and attractiveness of print, paper and paper-based packaging. National Book Tokens have recently partnered with us again to sponsor the prizes for our UK competition.
In order to enter the competition, consumers must answer three simple questions correctly about forestry, recycling and biodiversity. Our National Book Tokens competition is a proven way to engage consumers and share with them the facts about our industry.
Live industry events are an impactful and positive way for us to share what we do with the wider industry, like the Love Paper Campaign, and discuss how important it is for the industry to work together to inform clients, customers and consumers on just how sustainable print, paper and paper packaging truly is.
Packaging is a growth area that is becoming more and more relevant to printers, what advice would you give for embracing this as a product offering?
The paper packaging industry witnessed considerable growth during the pandemic, mostly due to people working from home and ordering consumer goods online. Demand spiked, but subsequently dropped off considerably. However, we are now witnessing signs of a recovery due to plastic substitution and increasing economic demand.
Packaging is complex to both make and market. It requires a high level of expertise in converting and finishing and an in-depth understanding of substrates where performance is important. Burst, tear and stiffness strength for example are increasingly important for brands where they want to optimise their packaging to be as lightweight and cost effective as possible without compromising on quality.
How do you think printers can continue to use the statistics used by yourselves and associated organisations to win more business?
The topic of sustainability is on everyone’s lips. It’s such a big talking point for consumers with the likes of Sir David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg appearing in main stream media. The public is becoming more aware of the impact that we all have on the environment, so it’s important that we set the facts straight when it comes to our industry, our products and the planet.
The materials that Two Sides produces are useful for when talking to potential and existing customers/clients, as their own customers are going to have questions and opinions on why they are using paper. By communicating the clear messages that paper is highly recyclable, a natural renewable resource and sits perfectly within the structure of a circular economy, it will improve public perceptions.
Anything else to add?
Since the launch of our Love Paper Campaign in 2012 (www.lovepaper.org) to combat greenwashing, we have been able to engage directly with consumers and brands thanks to the wide support from leading publishers and our global communications across many platforms.
We are now seeing this support extend to consumer brands via packaging with the use of the Love Paper logo. This enables people to learn more about paper-based products, in a commercial-free manner, and discover the positive environmental story the industry can share and one which it should be proud to celebrate.
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