Greenwashing damages paper's reputation

The paper industry is struggling with misleading advertising claims and greenwashing. Two Sides speaks to companies about such advertising.

The paper industry is increasingly struggling with misleading advertising claims from companies. Such statements can influence consumer perceptions and also violate environmental marketing rules. Two Sides repeatedly approaches companies about such advertising - with success. 

Two Sides has contacted over 1,900 organisations worldwide that make misleading statements about paper. So far over 880 of them removed such statements from their communication. In 2021, 574 companies in Europe alone refrained from making unsubstantiated claims about paper and adjusted their advertising claims. 

Unfounded environmental marketing claims such as „Go Green - Go Paperless“ and „Switch to e-billing and save a tree“ are often used in customer communications. „These „greenwash“ claims not only violate applicable environmental marketing rules and advertising codes, but also also harm an industry that has a solid and constantly improving environmental record„, says Jonathan Tame, Managing Director of Two Sides Europe.

„Far from having to save trees, a healthy market for forestry products such as paper promotes the long-term growth of forests through sustainable forest management. Many of the organisations we work with are surprised when they learn that European forests are actually growing by 1,500 football pitches every day.“

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Jonathan Tame

Due to the enormous reach of some of these greenwashing organisations, their unsubstantiated claims are having a detrimental effect on consumer perception of paper and threatening a sector that employs 1,096,000 people in more than 115,700 companies in the EU and the UK. The The financial impact of greenwash on the paper, printing and mailing industries worldwide is worrying, if these messages go unchallenged. Recent research in Europe conducted by Two Sides and Censuswide in 2021 found that in Europe alone, the paper, printing and mailing industry is at risk of losing around €337 million in value annually due to greenwashing.

Source: Two Sides

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