Not matter what work I do, I tend to ask the hard questions; to get to the essence, to get to the truth.
We live in a world with so many claims and so much marketing jargon, where people are often willing to say anything to get a sale. In sustainability, this has long been given a name: greenwash. But I do feel the tide is shifting, and now people are less inclined to just accept things for the words printed on the page, and really want the cold, hard, data.
But always remembering that we are on a journey together to improve things, I will not put a claim to anything unless I know it is what it is. And to get there, sometimes it means making suggestions that set wheels in motion, and it may only come to fruition after my project has finished. So today, I left out a piece of information I had so wanted to proudly place on the inside cover of my book, stating the sustainable sourcing of my paper. Why? Because, although the printers confirmed the PEFC paper stock, they weren’t yet able to get me the exact certification code.
Without the proof to back it up, my first print run will not claim anything that I can’t trace back to source.
But rather than being disappointed, I see this as a key part of the advocacy role for environmental sustainability, a duty of care to take small steps to help us all do our bit. The printers are now making enquiries to get this information, and perhaps for the next print run I will be able to boldly claim the paper sourcing.
For those of you who aren’t too familiar with certification for paper, there are many certification systems worldwide but the two most well-known are Forest Stewardship Council FSC and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification PEFC. These schemes seek to encourage environmentally sustainable forestry and offer a way to verify the sourcing of timbers through chain of custody from forest to manufacture. The effects of unsustainable forestry worldwide are scary and often hidden from consumers. The more we demand to know where our timber products come from, the more the industry will need to respond and improve.
Keep on pushing…