Two Sides Comes to the U.S.
by Elise Hitchcock

"Go Paperless, Save a Tree" is a common slogan businesses use to appear "green." But are businesses really going green? Where is that evidence that printing paper, a renewable resource, is environmentally unfriendly? According to Phil Riebel, president of Two Sides U.S. Inc, most companies cannot back their generic claims.

Two Sides, a non-profit organization that began in the U.K. in 2008, promotes the responsible production and use of print and paper.

"There are a lot of negative perspectives--wrong perspectives--about the environmental impact of paper," said Riebel. "A lot of companies are doing negative marketing against paper." According to Riebel, companies tend to forget most people will still print a receipt for records, effectively eliminating anything "paperless" about the transaction.

These paper myths are one of the key aspects of Two Sides' recently launched U.S. website. In an effort to bring people and companies the facts about print and paper, Riebel, along with his experienced committees, will be contacting companies regarding false claims. A similar campaign conducted in the U.K. saw 80% of companies that Two Sides contacted, change or remove the claims about the negative impact of paper.

With the U.S. being consumed by "go paperless" campaigns, Riebel knew the U.S. needed an organization that could disprove these claims. Unlike other similar U.S. organizations, Two Sides allowed all companies that worked with print and paper to be members, which gave Two Sides more credibility and a "leg to stand on" when defending the print and paper industry.

"Companies link paper use to deforestation," said Riebel. "Deforestation is when you remove a forest and convert it to something else (such as a mall)." In fact, Riebel explained that wood used to make paper is harvested in a safe and environmentally conscious way. Forestry, the science of managing forests, has extensive standards, and the forests that meet strict environmental standards are healthy and thriving.

Some of the major sustainable forestry certification programs in North America are the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), American Tree Farm Systems (ATFS) and Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI).

When abiding by the programs, companies must operate based on woodlot, or forestry management plan, that considers social, environmental and economic needs. Being certified shows customers the company is environmentally responsible. Two Sides' website states that more than half of the 751 million acres of U.S. forestland is privately owned. The three largest U.S. certification systems certify 118 million acres of privately owned U.S. farmland.

Environmentally conscious people should look for certification logos on those products. Riebel links a lack of knowledge to the misconception of print and paper. "[People have] emotional attachments to forests and trees, and the industry hasn't done a great job educating people while the environmentalists have," he said.

Education is the key to changing the way people view print and paper, said Riebel. Through Two Sides' affiliation with TAPPI, it will be able to educate more people about responsible print and paper habits. Anyone, including TAPPI members, can register with Two Sides and receive educational information about print and paper.

According to Riebel, the American people have been sold on how environmentally friendly it is to go digital, and the print and paper industries are being hit hard. Yet, he said the two will just have to learn to coexist. "I don't think (technical advances) are going to stop," he commented. "It's too convenient. We have to learn to coexist and people have to understand there are impacts to both. There will always be a place for paper. People aren't buying gadgets for environmental reasons; they just want the new gadget."

Riebel wants people to know that just because they choose not to use paper does not mean they are not harming the environment. One question regarding electric hand dryers posted on the Two Sides website, addresses this issue. "They claim environmental superiority and tell the user they are savings trees," the member wrote. "Has anyone done a life cycle analysis on these things and compared it to a (life cycle analysis) on paper towels?"

One of the issues with electric dryers is that they are made with non-renewable materials. For the complete answer, visit www. twosides.us.

Riebel has high hopes for Two Sides and how it can change the consumer perspective of print and paper. "Our goal is not to build a large organization," he said. "We would rather spend the money on educating people."

Elise Hitchcock is Online Exclusives editor with Paper360° and can be reached at: ehitchcock@tappi.org. To learn more about Two Sides go to: www.twosides.us. See more Online Exclusives at: www.paper360.org.

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