This storm will pass! And why taking sustainable action now will pay off in the future…

This is an opinion piece I wrote for Image Reports Magazine during the summer.

The print and sign industry is slow to adopt sustainability. We are behind other industries because the culture of the sector is conservative, we operate in short time cycles, we are risk averse, and not future-focused.

These may seem like harsh words, but it is my opinion, and I am just being honest. It could be that change will only take place on a large scale with the environment when we are forced by law or by customer demand. With economic uncertainty, rising energy prices, inflation and interest rates, this is further compounding a lack of action concerning the environment.

This Storm Will Pass!

The perennial conflict between environment and profit leads to short term decisions driven by cost at the expense of the environment. The reality is that this kind of short term thinking is also limiting the future relevance of the print industry. Scope 3 is not something that might happen, it is happening now, and the print industry is miles behind other industries.

While it is understandable that business owners are prioritising short term survival, neglecting sustainability is ignoring a significant megatrend that will eventually impact everything.

The current economic crisis will not last forever. When talking to a friend recently he made the point that ‘This storm will pass’, because all storms do. Wars end, energy prices will reduce, inflation and interest rates will stabilize and positivity will return. Sure, we may be in a period of permacrisis, but we cannot control this. So instead of over-worrying, try something counterintuitive for a change. Adopting a sustainable strategy is a great way of taking back control and preparing for the future. Merely offering an FSC paper is not enough, a strategic investment in sustainability is necessary.

Scope 3 is a looming reality. Brands must ensure that their supply chains align, failure to do so can result in loss of business.The need to be sustainable is undeniable. Playing catch-up will be incredibly stressful. Yet still, intransigence is what I see.

In the past few months, I have spoken to some pioneering leaders in sustainability, who are sadly in the minority. What unites these people is they are committed to sustainability emotionally. They believe it is the right thing to do, they believe it is essential and consider it a journey. Rick Bellamy at DScoop said that often, we over-focus on the destination, (e.g. which could be Net Zero by 2030), when this may be too large and distant to encourage action. Just starting the journey is the main thing.

Once committed, these pioneers are open to learning, and are humble. They have created a plan with goals, done their research and have just begun. They say it is essential to be transparent as opposed to secretive and that there is always room for improvement. And there is nothing more disarming than honesty, vulnerability and openness.

Unfortunately, feedback from the industry about sustainability has been ‘we will do something when we have to’, which points to a resistance to change and because they cannot see an immediate benefit, they do not change. This underlines the herd mentality of the print sector.

New ideas, innovations and trends will take time to gain acceptance in the ‘traditional’ print community even though we had run EcoPrint in 2012, in 2023, we discovered sustainability in print (despite it gaining traction among brands and retailers) had not moved on that much at all. While there are some notable exceptions, namely the people I mentioned earlier in this piece, these are the sustainable pioneers, the outliers. Doing great things on their own but doing so while existing well outside the mainstream.

Sustainability still has to ‘cross the chasm’ from an ‘early adopter’ phase into one where the mainstream gets behind it. Geoffrey Moore’s book ‘Crossing the Chasm’ emphasises the need for guaranteed positive impact to drive mainstream change. Apart from Imageco in Leeds there are no other businesses playing a leading role in helping the industry by openly sharing their success, their honest journeys, including both the wins and the losses.

I know that the motivation for change for Nathan at Imageco was watching David Attenborough’s Blue Planet and seeing how so much plastic ended up in our oceans, damaging the precious ecosystems and wildlife habitation. It is a philosophy in which he and his people are emotionally, and commercially invested. Blue Planet triggered a change in him, and consequently, he embarked on a sustainable journey, and this has paid off for the business. Imageco is a thriving business, with some super creative projects and is leading the market in many ways. While being sustainable doesn’t guarantee commercial success, (what does) there is still the opportunity to take a leadership position that can distinguish and that will give your business opportunities.

To be sustainable is to be efficient and modern. And as any expert will tell you, reducing the use of resources is the most effective way to impact the planet, people and your profit.

The environmental crisis has gained political attention and resonates more with the next younger generation of leaders.

It is frustrating to concede that the print and sign industries are still lagging well behind the curve when it comes to sustainability. It could be that the introduction of legislation and regulation is what it will take to make a big impact. But those who make the change now will be future-proofing their business.

It is time, don’t place your future business at a disadvantage.

This storm will pass! And what kind of business will you have on the other side?