Press release submitted on behalf of Two Sides.
Two Sides, Portland, Oregon, has challenged over 2,650 organizations found to be communicating greenwashing messages to their customers. Over 1,180 organizations have, so far, removed misleading anti-paper statements.
Economic pressures remain the driver for greenwashing, and many organizations that have relied on paper to communicate with their customers are increasingly transitioning consumers from traditional paper-based services to digital platforms to reduce costs. The switch to digital is often justified by misleading and unsubstantiated environmental marketing messages such as; “Go Green – Go Paperless” or “Choose e-billing and help save a tree,” but this is Greenwashing.
A Two Sides Greenwashing Study in 2022 revealed that 65% of US consumers who have seen greenwashing claims are influenced to switch from paper to electronic communications. Furthermore, data from the 2023 Two Sides Trend Tracker Survey showed that 81% of consumers believe they should have the right to choose how they receive bills and statements.
With increasing focus on corporate sustainability, other sectors – such as tissue and paper-based packaging – now experience greenwashing with the misleading and unsubstantiated marketing of products claiming to be more sustainable for many reasons, including new and alternative sources of fiber.
Two Sides North America Executive Director, Jules Van Sant says, “These greenwashing claims violate established environmental marketing regulations and are hugely damaging for an industry known for its strong and consistently progressive environmental record. A healthy market for forest products such as paper encourages the long-term growth of forests through sustainable forest management. Many of the organizations we challenge are surprised to learn that US forests have actually been growing by the equivalent of 1,200 football fields every day.”
Globally, Two Sides has engaged over 2,650 Organizations making misleading statements about paper. In North America, nearly 200 companies, including many Fortune 500 companies, have removed unsubstantiated claims about paper.
Two Sides estimates that, due to the vast reach of some of these organizations, unsubstantiated claims have a long-lasting damaging effect on consumer perceptions of paper and threaten a US industry that employs over 925,000 people and supports more than 2 million additional jobs throughout the supply chain.
The Anti-greenwash campaign continues to be a priority for Two Sides and urges companies not to use unsubstantiated and misleading environmental claims about going paperless in all of their communications.
“We are grateful for the openness, communication and cooperation when we present the facts around the use of paper, print, mail and paper-based packaging. But we have more work to do! As a result of our outreach, hundreds of organizations have changed or eliminated these misleading greenwashing claims from their messaging. Our industry stakeholders, Two Sides members, supporters and informed consumers help keep our work at the forefront. We are thankful for those who send us examples of greenwashing – keep them coming,” Van Sant concludes.
About Two Sides
Two Sides is a not-for-profit, global initiative promoting the unique, sustainable, and attractive attributes of print, paper, and paper packaging. Its members span the entire value chain, including forestry, pulp, paper, packaging, inks and chemicals, finishing, publishing, printing, envelopes, and postal operators. For more information, visit https://twosides.info/.
