PRINTING SA is bringing Two Sides to South Africa. The Two Sides South Africa campaign will function under the PRINTING SA umbrella and the partnership aims to promote the sustainability of print and paper as well as provide South African-based research about prints sustainability.
Two Sides promotes the responsible production and use of print and paper and dispels common environmental misconceptions by providing users with verifiable information on why Print Media is an attractive, practical and sustainable communications medium. In February this year, Two Sides sent an open letter to Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO of Google in response to the Googles Go Paperless campaign, highlighting Two Sides’ concerns that Google and others are trying to promote their services as environmentally preferable to print and paper whereas there is significant evidence that electronic communication, including Google’s activities, carry a significant and increasing environmental footprint.
On 21st and 22nd of February this year, Martyn Eustace, Director, Two Sides UK addressed PRINTING SA members and industry leaders, including: Bytes Document Solutions, Agfa, Papersmith & Son, Antalis South Africa, Direct Mail Association, Graphica Supplies, Mpact Limited, PAMSA, SAPPI, DigitalView, Thunderbolt, Unisa, Syreline Process, Ricoh SA, Papercor, Nampak, Paarl Media, Merpak Envelopes, Kemtek Imaging Systems, Fox Communications, FTASA, Everest Flexibles and the South African Post Office. Eustace outlined Two Sides aims to debunk the misconceptions about the printing industry and spoke about launching a Two Sides campaign in South Africa. The response from these companies and PRINTING SA members was overwhelmingly positive.
PRINTING SA is looking to appoint an independent country manager and will establish a management board, sustainability group and marketing group as well as a membership charter for Two Sides South Africa.
The Two Sides campaign tackles environmental arguments head-on but doesnt attack other forms of media. It states that there is a place for print and paper and it is backed by facts and research, which is localised for various regions that Two Sides operates within. PRINTING SA will localise this research, said Deon Joubert, National President of PRINTING SA. It is critical for the sustainability of the printing industry to tell our side of the story.
