Love Paper and the Power of the Printing Press

By Ken Hickson

Call me a Paper Boy, if you like. Because I haven’t stopped believing in the power of the printing press and the true value of the printed word, whether it be in the form of a letter, postcard, newspaper, magazine, book, newsletter, poster or parcel.

In my youth, I did deliver the local newspaper by cycling nine miles, six days a week around a country town in New Zealand. On leaving school, I started out on a career as a journalist for the afternoon metropolitan newspaper in Wellington, New Zealand.

As I hold a print copy of the Straits Times in my hands every day for my breakfast time reading in Singapore, I do wonder how many others are doing the same.  Yes, there’s been a decline in newspaper sales over recent years and the printing presses compete with television, radio and online sources of news and information.

But we are still seeing that printed books – and magazines, for that matter – are holding their own against the digitalisation of information.

We do hear that US publishers of books in all formats made almost US$26 billion in revenue last year, with print making up $22.6 billion and e-books taking $2.04 billion. That’s according to the Association of American Publishers’ annual report 2019, which includes trade and educational books, as well as fiction.

Besides being an economic advantage, there must be other things going for print books to beat the challenge from eBooks.

Let’s see what science comes up with to show that reading real books is good for the brain and health generally.

There are  “Seven Scientific Benefits of Reading Printed Books”, according to an article published on Mental Floss website, described as a destination for curious people. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/554845/7-scientific-benefits-reading-printed-books

1. You absorb more information: Readers of print books absorb and remember more of the plot than readers of e-books do, according to a study that was presented in Italy in 2014.

2. Children become better readers: A study of young children reveals they had lower comprehension of the story when their parents read to them from an e-book as opposed to a print book. Researchers theorize this arises because children get distracted by the electronic device.

3. Books are easier on the eyes: One survey of 429 university students revealed that nearly half had complained of strained eyes after reading digitally. Electronic books can cause screen fatigue, which may lead to blurred vision, redness, dryness, and irritation.

4. You’re less likely to get distracted: When reading e-books, you tend to get side-tracked more easily. According to one survey, 67% of university students were able to multitask while reading digitally, compared to 41% of print readers.

5. Books help you sleep better: Studies show that the blue light from your screen can toy with your melatonin levels and circadian cycles, making it harder for you to fall asleep. So if you’re hoping to get a good night’s rest, go to bed with a good book. Print, of course.

6. Having a library at home is linked to higher academic achievement:  Students who have books at home are more likely to score higher on tests, according to a study of readers from 42 countries. Researchers believe this encourages children to read for fun and talk to their parents about what they’ve learned, which only stands to benefit them in the classroom.

7. Books amplify the joy of reading: One recent study of college students in the US, Slovakia, Japan, and Germany showed that 92% of participants preferred actual books that they can hold, touch and leaf through whenever they please. Students cited fewer distractions and less eye strain as a couple of the reasons why they prefer printed materials, but other explanations were related to how books make them feel.

The Metal Floss article also referred readers to US Paper & Packaging “How life unfolds” .

If that’s not enough to reinforce the value of books in print, we can also call on the Two Sides organisation, which operates in  Europe and North America.

Its approach is to provide facts and data to show how the print and paper industry is investing in sustainability right across its various activities.

By uniting the graphic communications supply chain, led by sustainable and responsible forestry, paper production and printing, it aspires to ensure that, in a world of scarce resources, print and paper’s unique recyclable and renewable qualities can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Two Sides is further committed to ensuring that print and paper also remains a versatile, effective and powerful means of marketing and communication, stretching the imagination and imparting knowledge.

Starting in the United Kingdom, it mounted a “Love Paper” global campaign to promote the sustainable and attractive attributes of print, paper and paper packaging. It seeks to tell consumers around the world all the positive stories about paper, print and paper packaging from its environmental credentials to its role in the creative process.

Read all about it here:  https://www.twosides.info/UK/love-paper-campaign-features-across-national-publications/

Which brings us to the role played throughout the world by PEFC – the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification – and what’s underway in Singapore to get its Chain of Custody certification programme fully operational.

As a big consumer of imported materials – including pulp and paper – Singapore is being encouraged to become a centre of influence, committed to responsible procurement from the Asian region’s forests and plantations.

This was the message from Ben Gunneberg, PEFC International CEO, when he visited Singapore in September 2019 and spoke to 50 representatives from government agencies, think tanks, industry bodies, certification bodies, private sector companies and media.

It also marked the launch of PEFC’s Chain of Custody certification scheme, now recognised by the Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC), which is managed by Enterprise Singapore and the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

Mr Gunneberg gave an overview of PEFC’s work and stressed that sustainable forest management can contribute to meeting social, economic and environmental challenges, as well as helping countries and companies to address all 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

With 17 million hectares of forests certified in Asia, it’s the fastest growing region for PEFC. He also pointed out that there’s a lot of room to grow responsible sourcing in countries like Singapore, which has only 22 Chain of Custody certificate holders out of a total 1421 throughout Asia.

Chain of Custody certification in Singapore can be incorporated into private and public sector procurement policies, demonstrating support for sustainably managed forests and meeting Sustainability Development Goals.

It also enables companies to meet legality issues and customer expectations, as well as introduce traceability solutions into the supply chain.

Besides certification of wood for buildings and furniture, there’s the opportunity to greatly increase the use of certification – and the PEFC logo - for publishing, printing, paper and packaging, where Singapore has made an encouraging start.

There is recognition at home and abroad that Singapore has a flourishing printing and publishing industry.

The opportunity now exists for PEFC to work with the Print and Media Association to promote the use of responsibly-sourced paper and create greater awareness in the eyes of the wider community of the value of paper as a sustainably-produced material.

There’s no reason why Singapore couldn’t mount something similar to the UK’s Love Paper campaign which stresses that  paper and paper packaging are increasingly recognised for their unique sustainable features: made from renewable raw materials, recyclable and biodegradable.

A former print journalist (newspapers and magazines) who continues to be a strong advocate for paper and print, Ken Hickson is the author of six books (all in print), including one entitled “Race for Sustainability” published by World Scientific in Singapore in 2013 – the first book in Asia to be PEFC-certified. He is currently producing a book for the 40^th Anniversary of the Lions Home for the Elders, which he insists will be a PEFC-certified production in Singapore and will be launched at the Lions International Convention at Marina Bay Sands in June 2020, attracting 20,000 overseas visitors. Ken also serves as the Sustainability and Communications Consultant to PEFC in Singapore.