Reforestation For Printers

prwhite

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PrintReleaf Exchange [PRX]—a platform that empowers businesses to reduce environmental impact by planting trees—will introduce an environmental application program for printers at PRINT•17. The PRX application allows printers to join the environmental movement.

Working closely with print & forest industry experts, the PRX application has standards for measuring, offsetting and verifying the successful reforestation of consumed paper. The application provides printers with an independently verified means of reforestation that corresponds to the paper used in print jobs. For more information: https://printreleaf.com/projects
 
PrintReleaf Exchange [PRX]—a platform that empowers businesses to reduce environmental impact by planting trees—will introduce an environmental application program for printers at PRINT•17. The PRX application allows printers to join the environmental movement.

Working closely with print & forest industry experts, the PRX application has standards for measuring, offsetting and verifying the successful reforestation of consumed paper. The application provides printers with an independently verified means of reforestation that corresponds to the paper used in print jobs. For more information: https://printreleaf.com/projects

I'm all for planting trees - but color me cynical about this project.

First off a statement like this: "The PRX application allows printers to join the environmental movement." Well, printers have been part of the "environmental movement" (whatever they actually mean by that) for centuries.

"To calculate how many trees were deforested to produce the paper for this [reference] job" PrintReleaf collects paper consumption data from the source via third-party printer monitoring software installed on the device." Hmmm. The device photos on their website only show digital printers. Printers already know how much paper their devices consume - especially if they're paying click charges. Do you want some third party spying on your printer? Or is your device vendor willing to send them your information? And what about offset? Doesn't offset consume paper?

The trees that are consumed by the paper industry for use in printing are not "deforested" - at least not in the sense this business is implying. They are grown much like corn is grown. When ready they are then harvested - much like corn is - for use in paper manufacturing* (and their pulp will be combined with recycled paper). The farms where the trees have been harvested are then replanted to maintain a sustainable resource.

IMHO the deforestation that's occurring is not related to printing - although they imply that since they are asking printers to contribute to counter deforestation resulting for their paper usage. One of the countries they offer as a place for printers to make their contribution is Brazil. However, deforestation in Brazil is to make way for raising cattle the satisfy the demand for beef. Perhaps they should look at having McDonald's and other consumers of beef contribute to the reforestation in those area instead.

*I didn't mean to imply that corn is used in NA/Euro paper making. Corn husks are used for paper making in developing countries though.
 
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I'm all for planting trees - but color me cynical about this project.

First off a statement like this: "The PRX application allows printers to join the environmental movement." Well, printers have been part of the "environmental movement" (whatever they actually mean by that) for centuries.

"To calculate how many trees were deforested to produce the paper for this [reference] job" PrintReleaf collects paper consumption data from the source via third-party printer monitoring software installed on the device." Hmmm. The device photos on their website only show digital printers. Printers already know how much paper their devices consume - especially if they're paying click charges. Do you want some third party spying on your printer? Or is your device vendor willing to send them your information? And what about offset? Doesn't offset consume paper?

The trees that are consumed by the paper industry for use in printing are not "deforested" - at least not in the sense this business is implying. They are grown much like corn is grown. When ready they are then harvested - much like corn is - for use in paper manufacturing* (and their pulp will be combined with recycled paper). The farms where the trees have been harvested are then replanted to maintain a sustainable resource.

IMHO the deforestation that's occurring is not related to printing - although they imply that since they are asking printers to contribute to counter deforestation resulting for their paper usage. One of the countries they offer as a place for printers to make their contribution is Brazil. However, deforestation in Brazil is to make way for raising cattle the satisfy the demand for beef. Perhaps they should look at having McDonald's and other consumers of beef contribute to the reforestation in those area instead.

*I didn't mean to imply that corn is used in NA/Euro paper making. Corn husks are used for paper making in developing countries though.

Yes. Printers have paid for reforestation for a very long time. It is included in the price of the paper they buy from suppliers that maintain their forests.

Look in other directions is true. Some forests are cut down to grow corn for fuel. Carbon sinks are destroyed to make environmental fuel. People are stupid.
 
Yes. Printers have paid for reforestation for a very long time. It is included in the price of the paper they buy from suppliers that maintain their forests.

Look in other directions is true. Some forests are cut down to grow corn for fuel. Carbon sinks are destroyed to make environmental fuel. People are stupid.

I got into a tussle with my local branch of a big box food store. Their environmental thrust is to charge customers for the bags they use to pack their groceries. The charge is 5 cents for a plastic bag and 10 cents for a paper one. My concern is that charging less for the plastic (non renuable resource and locally not recycleable) encourages people to choose plastic instead of paper (renewable resource and recycleable). So, if the company actually wants to make better choices for the environment then why not charge more for the plastic than the paper bag? Her response was that they were just charging the customer what the bags cost them. Then she hung up.
 

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