I saw this while overseas yesterday, a Treehugger I Was A Newspaper Pencil. The packaging and the display unit this and associated product was in had a clear pitch around recycling newspapers.
The packaging has more details about what makes up the product. It also claims that some of the proceeds from the sale of the pencils goes to replanting of indigenous trees in China.
As I have noted before, playing in the recycled product / environmental product space is something we can do well – better than major retailers. It’s certainly something I would like to see newsagent suppliers more engaged with.
In an ideal newsagency all the stationery items I sell would be green: carbon neutral and, where possible, made from recycled materials. What a marketing message that would be.
I have lots of customers who come into
my shop for say a New Idea and then say
“save the trees – don’t put it in a bag”
I have to bite my lip to not retort “what do
you think the magazine is made from”
Duh??????
june
i think we all accept that some trees need to be cut down to produce newspapers and mags (even if some recycled material is used).
the more pressing environmental issue starts by putting the mag into a single use bag, so that the customer can make it easier to get the magazine to their car.
post sale packaging is unnecessary
What about the plastic bag tree!!
Ian, plastic bags have been banned in SA
for nearly 3 years now (except for the duopoly who have been able to exact an
exemption of course).
We have people asking for “one of your
nice brown carry bags please” to put their
newspaper (profit of 15c M/F) into when
the carry bags cost us 60c each.
Now when we shop at Coles if we don’t
have our “green bags” with us because we
left them in the boot of the car it costs
15c per plastic bag for average weekly shop that is $1.50 per person when we used to get them for nothing.