Green Printing Guide for Nonprofits

Nonprofit organizations are often held to higher public relations standards than small and corporate businesses. This is because nonprofit organizations typically ask for funds without direct reward - one's reward for a donation is in knowing they've helped a great cause, which brings a particular challenge to nonprofit organizations. When it comes to spending money, most people prefer to get something concrete - a product or service - in return. In order to successfully complete fundraising campaigns, nonprofit organizations must be especially sensitive to the agendas of the public at large. Being eco-friendly is quickly becoming one of the most important aspects of public relations, and nonprofit organizations and companies alike are striving to implement green agendas that meet the demands of the public. Printing in volumes is in constant need by nonprofit organizations, and it represents an excellent opportunity to be eco-friendly in nonprofit organization marketing efforts. The following is a brief green printing guide for nonprofit organizations:

Print on recycled paper

Recycled paper is one of the best ways to implement a green, or eco-friendly, marketing program. Companies such as PsPrint offer recycled matte papers for brochures, posters, catalogs, postcards, business cards and many other common printing applications. When printing on recycled paper, nonprofit organizations should always include one of the universally recognized recycled paper symbols so the public knows they're making strides to save the environment and uphold a commitment to the perpetuation of the human race, no matter what their foundational cause is.

Soy inks

Soy inks, also employed by PsPrint, are the difference between releasing harmful enviro-toxins and rounding out an eco-friendly printing process. As the name indicates, soy inks are soy-based and release far fewer toxins upon drying. They bring additional benefits to nonprofit organizations as well - less ink is needed to complete common print jobs and soy inks produce bright, vibrant colors unmatched by their traditional counterparts.

Recycle

Recycle everything you can, especially old brochures, posters, business cards and more. Let the public know that not only do you print on recycled paper, you recycle paper yourself. This is a great way to save money and be eco-friendly at the same time, since paper can add quite a bit to your garbage haul-away bill.

Affordable green printing

Some nonprofit organizations are hesitant to hop on the green bandwagon because they fear increased prices for recycled paper products. In reality, the price differences are small; plus, there are ways nonprofit organizations can cut printing costs for total economy. Order your brochures, posters, postcards and other materials in standard sizes so you don't incur the extra fees associated with custom cuts. If you're a nonprofit organization with high-volume printing needs, you should contact your printing company's sales team to see if you can obtain special pricing. Remember that printing prices are always negotiable, and that printing company managers have a heart, too - while you can't expect to get your printing for free, it's often possible to negotiate a 10 percent discount that offsets the cost of going green. Nonprofit organizations should always be aware of eco-friendly techniques they can employ as part of their agendas and as part of their public relations campaigns. Green printing is perhaps the quickest and easiest first-step in implementing a green agenda.