Myth: Resources are wasted and natural forests are cut down for print products.
Reality check: Fresh fibers for paper production are obtained in particular from sawmill waste, wood from plantations or from thinnings. No natural forests are cut down when plantation wood is used. Plantations are often created on land that was previously used for agriculture and is no longer productive. When thinning forests, foresters remove individual weaker trees to provide the remaining trees with better growing conditions. In addition, recycled material is often used for paper production.

Myth: Printed materials generate a lot of waste and are less recyclable than digital media.
Reality check: Paper is one of the most recycled materials in the world. Modern recycling technologies make it possible to recycle printed products efficiently, thereby reducing waste. Electronic waste, on the other hand, is a major problem for people and the environment. In addition Programmatic Print This means that print advertising can be customized to suit the target group as much as possible, meaning that significantly fewer print products end up in the bin.

Myth: Printing processes release many chemical substances and pollute the environment.
Reality check: Printing technologies are constantly being developed and modernized. Many companies are already using more environmentally friendly inks and chemicals and are actively working to minimize their environmental footprint by offsetting, using renewable energy, employing modern technologies and reducing waste wherever possible.

Myth: The transportation of print media leads to high CO₂-emissions.
Reality check: The CO₂-emissions from the transport of print products can be reduced through efficient logistics and localized production, which is already happening to a large extent. There are also certifications such as FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), which ensure sustainable practices in the supply chain. For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that even electronic end devices do not do without logistical effort.  

Myth: Digital is more sustainable than print.
Reality check: This is an inadmissible generalization. Whether a digital medium is more sustainable than a printed medium or vice versa depends on so many factors that, strictly speaking, a case-by-case assessment would be necessary. These factors include, for example Production chain, product life cycle of a medium, method and duration of use of a medium, type of data transfer for digital media, timeliness of digital end devices, timeliness of technologies used and many more. Anyone who claims that digital is more sustainable than print is mistaken and has not grasped the complexity of the issue.

Myth: Print media are obsolete in the digital age.
Reality check: Print media remain relevant for certain target groups and purposes, e.g. for high-quality printed matter or special collector's items. They can cleverly complement digital media and offer a physical experiencethat simply cannot be achieved digitally. Through Programmatic Print print can now also be designed to be as individualized, accurate and measurable as possible. The benefits of print products can be measured not only quantitatively, but also qualitatively, as they offer a different way of conveying information than digital media. In addition, new print technologies are constantly being developed to create unique product experiences and a special Target group approach which can lead to increased efficiency and thus greater sustainability.

Myth: Printed documents require a lot of space for storage compared to digital archiving methods.
Reality check: Digital archiving certainly has advantages in terms of storage space and accessibility. However, printed documents offer long-term physical durability without technical dependencies such as power or hardware compatibility.

Source used: Article "Environmentally conscious printing" by BVDM