I will be exhibiting at a waste/recycling show next week– and I have been barraged by a steady stream of emails from the organization over the past few weeks–each with a note to print out their emails–as they are making “efforts to be environmentally conscious”.  However they require every exhibitor personnel to print out their form  (4 pages) before they can get their badges.

In fact the exact wording reads: ” This letter serves as your registration confirmation. To expedite on-site processing, please bring this confirmation with you to XYZExpo. Please note that in XYZExpo’s efforts to be environmentally conscious, exhibitor badges and special event tickets WILL NOT BE MAILED. Instead, everything will be available for pick-up on-site. Your Exhibitor badge(s) and special event tickets can be picked up at the “Exhibitor Already Registered” counters. Please note a confirmation has been sent to the email provided for each of your company’s exhibiting booth personnel so they can pick up their individual exhibitor badge. Please be sure to bring your email confirmation and photo ID on-site (just like when you check at the airport). We thank you in advance for your support in our efforts.” Note: In an effort to be reasonable, I protected the organization’s name, substituting XYZ for it’s real name.

If you are going green or acting in an “environmentally conscious” way – then don’t require 2500+ people to needlessly print out four pages of documentation that is poorly formatted.

I have been to some shows where you get a bar code and can scan a single piece of paper or your iPhone screen to get your badges.  This trade show organization had previously sent me an email with a bar code that I had already printed out– so to print out an additional 4 pages does not strike me as being “environmentally conscious”.

“Too cheap to mail” might be a better and more accurate description.

Plus, if they do require a print out due to old equipment, why couldn’t they better format the output to fit on one sheet of paper?

If you are going to announce your intentions to be “environmentally conscious”, you should back it up with actions.

Just using green lingo, slang and expressions does not make a company environmentally friendly.

Practice what you preach, and help your suppliers, customers, exhibitors and others in your supply chain to be green.  Paper reduction is one of the simplest ways to start.

Can you find ways to reduce the amount of paper required for your organization?

How can you call yourself green if you are still mailing paper invoices, requiring 8 page vendor forms to be mailed in rather than done electronically, etc.?

I would welcome hearing how you have reduced the paper usage of your company–as well as from your customers and suppliers.

Here’s to a greener tomorrow, today.

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Robert Piller, president of Eco Marketing Solutions, is experienced in green marketing campaigns and recycled promotional products.  He has worked to help plant over 25 million trees through his live tree seedling gift program over the past dozen years.  His company’s website, EcoMarketingSolutions.com, features over 25,000 eco-friendly promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find biodegradable, organic and recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame.

You can also reach him by email (robert (at) ecomarketingsolutions.com) or comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com or below at his Twitter link.

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