MBC Final Project Patrick Gibbs May 17, 2007 University of St. Thomas Do Print Buyers See the Certified Forest Through the Trees?

MBC Final ProjectMBC Final Project

Patrick GibbsPatrick Gibbs

May 17, 2007May 17, 2007

University of St. ThomasUniversity of St. Thomas

Do Print Buyers See the Do Print Buyers See the Certified Forest Through the Certified Forest Through the Trees?Trees?

Environmental Impact of PrintingEnvironmental Impact of PrintingNormally left environment up to printersNormally left environment up to printers

Used recycled papers and felt environmentalUsed recycled papers and felt environmental

Eased conscience by attending seminars held Eased conscience by attending seminars held by printersby printers

Full page ad in New York TimesFull page ad in New York Times

One million catalogs a dayOne million catalogs a day

ForestEthics.orgForestEthics.org

Global Campaign against Limited BrandsGlobal Campaign against Limited Brands

My conscience gets a wake up callMy conscience gets a wake up call

What is Certified Printing?What is Certified Printing?United Nations Conference on United Nations Conference on Environment and Development 1992Environment and Development 1992

““Eco-Labeling” for forest industryEco-Labeling” for forest industry

““Chain-of-Custody” for printersChain-of-Custody” for printers

How does “Chain-of-Custody” How does “Chain-of-Custody” certification work?certification work?AuthorizationAuthorization

Onsite AuditOnsite Audit

Records ReviewRecords Review

CertificationCertification

MonitoringMonitoring

Communication/promotionCommunication/promotion

Global initiative- non governmentalGlobal initiative- non governmental

Made up of 31 member countries, Made up of 31 member countries, largest certification schemelargest certification scheme

Certification OrganizationsCertification Organizations

Global Initiative-non governmentalGlobal Initiative-non governmental

Made up of foresters, loggers, sociologists and Made up of foresters, loggers, sociologists and environmentalistsenvironmentalists

U.S. initiative- non governmentalU.S. initiative- non governmental

Made up of non-industry and members of the American Made up of non-industry and members of the American Forest and Paper Association in U.S. -voluntary membershipForest and Paper Association in U.S. -voluntary membership

Not-for -profit business association setting standards for Not-for -profit business association setting standards for consumers and business safetyconsumers and business safety

Voluntary membershipVoluntary membership

QuestionsQuestionsDid print buyers know about this?Did print buyers know about this?

Were they buying certified printing?Were they buying certified printing?

What were their impressions of certified What were their impressions of certified printing? printing?

Was limiting the environmental impact seen Was limiting the environmental impact seen as a priority?as a priority?

Are print buyers advocating for certified Are print buyers advocating for certified printing?printing?

Research QuestionResearch Question

MethodologyMethodologyPartnered with GLS- local printerPartnered with GLS- local printer

Paper survey with 20 questionsPaper survey with 20 questions

Mailed to 1691 print buyers from GLS Mailed to 1691 print buyers from GLS customer base customer base

278 returned for a 16% response rate278 returned for a 16% response rate

How familiar are you with forest How familiar are you with forest sustainability, chain-of-custody and sustainability, chain-of-custody and other environmental efforts?other environmental efforts?

33.58%

55.84%

10.58%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

not familiar somewhat Very Familiar

Per

cent

age

of R

espo

nden

ts

Do you know if any of your Do you know if any of your printers have any of the following printers have any of the following certifications?certifications?

0.37%

12.41%4.41%

95.22%

2.55%

85.04%

4.41%4.41%

91.18%

1.10%

5.51%

93.38%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

100.00%

Yes No Don't Know

Per

cent

age

of R

espo

nden

ts

PEFC FSC SFI CSA

How often does your company How often does your company specify environmentally friendly specify environmentally friendly printers for its projects?printers for its projects?

66.79%

20.44%

8.03%2.55% 2.19%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

0% 1-25% 51-75 76-99 100%

Percent of jobs specified

Per

cen

tag

e o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

If you knew a printer was certified If you knew a printer was certified would this influence your would this influence your purchasing decision?purchasing decision?

9.82%

25.09%

37.45%

18.18%

9.45%

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

35.00%

40.00%

Not at all somewhat Maybe Very likely Definitely Yes

Per

cent

age

of R

espo

nden

ts

How likely are you to use a How likely are you to use a certified printer in the next six certified printer in the next six months?months?

28.73%

23.27%

27.27%

15.64%

5.09%

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

35.00%

Per

cen

tag

e o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

Rank the following factors in your Rank the following factors in your print purchasing decision.print purchasing decision.1 most important , 6 least important.1 most important , 6 least important.

BuyersBuyers

QualityQuality 1 1

PricePrice 2 2

Customer ServiceCustomer Service 3 3

Relationship w/ Sales RepRelationship w/ Sales Rep 4 4

Speed of printingSpeed of printing 5 5

Environmental ImpactEnvironmental Impact 6 6

Are print buyers advocating for Are print buyers advocating for certified printing?certified printing?

NONO

Answer to research questionAnswer to research question

ConclusionsConclusionsPrint buyers overestimated what they knew Print buyers overestimated what they knew about environmentally friendly printingabout environmentally friendly printing

Print buyers know little about certification Print buyers know little about certification and were not largely influenced by it as yetand were not largely influenced by it as yet

Environmental impact is not a concern for Environmental impact is not a concern for print buyers or their companiesprint buyers or their companies

RecommendationsRecommendationsBetter marketing to customers by certified Better marketing to customers by certified printers and better identification of customersprinters and better identification of customers

Better education for print buyers on Better education for print buyers on marketing/economic value marketing/economic value

More public pressure on the environmental More public pressure on the environmental impact of companies as a whole- not just main impact of companies as a whole- not just main productproduct

Thank YouThank You

Questions?Questions?