PDS (Print Data Solutions) join Two Sides to promote sustainability in print

The UK’s papermaking industry has smashed its energy-saving targets for the two-year period from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2016. All 45 of the UK’s paper mills take part in the voluntary Climate Change Agreement (CCA) scheme, launched in 2001, which gifts mills partial relief from the Climate Change Levy (CCL) tax in response for them delivering proven energy efficiency improvements. The paper sector was one of the first to agree to the CCA and by 2006 all mills had signed up. For the two-year period in question, the sector’s agreed target was to deliver a 7.1% improvement on 2008’s figure, and it actually improved by just shy of 10% (9.7%). Performance is defined in terms of a specific set of energy efficiency measurements mostly related to the use of electricity. Click Read More below for more of the story.

American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear told Congress that the industry needed realistic national timelines and targets to reduce emissions, rather than allowing California and other states to drive standards. “The trucking industry starts with ‘yes,’" Spear testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today. “ATA worked with the Environmental Protection Agency, producing Phases I and II emission reduction rules, as well as the SmartWay Transport Partnership – which has been a model of public-private cooperation. To date, 98.5% of all emissions have been removed from our tailpipes. In fact, 60 trucks today emit what one truck emitted in 1988.” Spear emphasized that those gains, which include reductions of millions of tons of carbon, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions, were the result of collaborative regulatory processes and realistic goals.

An investigation by Two Sides has found over 40% of local councils to be using unsubstantiated and misleading environmental claims about printed communication. Following an increasing number of individual “Greenwash” cases involving local councils being reported to Two Sides, an investigation was undertaken to identify the scale of misleading claims made by local government. An analysis of a random sample of 100 local councils found 42 to be making unsubstantiated claims about printed communication being bad for the environment. Misleading statements are being used by many of the UK’s largest councils: •“The paperless billing system… is better for the environment and saves money on postage and paper.” Birmingham City Council (1,137,100 residents) •“E-Billing is the fast, efficient, environmentally friendly way to receive your bills.” Liverpool City Council (491,500 residents) •“E-bills are more environmentally friendly as there is no paper or printing. Cardiff Council (362,756 residents). Click read more below for additional detail.