Printed newspapers and magazines have a huge impact on the environment. The manufacturing of paper, printing inks, use of solvents and coatings for paper, distribution and disposal of newspapers and magazines has a huge impact on the environment. On the other hand, an online newspaper or magazine has a minimal environmental impact because it is a virtual product.

The manufacture and disposal of paper affects the environment through forestry operations, air and water emissions from manufacturing operations, and disposal of waste.

Conventional printing inks are made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource, and some inks release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air during printing. VOCs contribute to smog and can cause illness and cancer among printers. Products required in the printing process are transported from place to place by truck resulting in pollution and carbon emissions.

Here is a quick list of the steps required to make a newspaper or magazine:

• Tree is cut down
• Transported to pulp mill
• Cut up as chips
• Cooked with chemicals to make pulp
• Pulp is blown with hot air
• Washed to remove chemicals
• Other chemicals, dyes added
• Dried between water-absorbing fabrics
• Rolled again to make smooth surface
• Cut into sheets and packaged
• Transported to paper wholesaler
• Purchased by printer
• Transported to printer
• Printed with ink, coatings and other chemicals
• Printing presses are cleaned with environmentally harmful solvents
• Trimmed and bound to produce brochures or booklets
• Packaged and shipped to customer
• Addressed and delivered to recipient by car or truck

Each step involves the use of energy, waste and chemicals that need to be disposed of.

Information source for paper manufacturing process:

http://www.internationalpaper.com

Newspapers and magazines are read once and thrown in the garbage or recycle bin. Online newspapers are available indefinitely as they are archived for future reading.

Recycling also has an environmental impact. Printed material made from coated material cannot be recycled. Recycling involves picking up paper from homeowner and transporting to recycling facility. Paper is sorted and recyclable items are shipped to paper mill. The mill uses chemicals and energy to remove printing ink and make paper usable again.

An online newspaper or magazine consists of data that is sent to a person’s computer over the internet. It is created using creative ideas and data input from a newspaper and magazine staff. The only resource it uses is electricity. It is never wasted, it is never disposed of. It doesn’t use up trees, pollute our water or add to our landfill sites. It’s available 24/7, seven days a week, for years until it is deleted.

An online newspaper or magazine can video or podcasts to enhance it's content. It can also gather user input, interact and inform better than any printed material. That’s why an online newspaper or magazine is the most cost-efficient and environmentally friendly way to publish.

kWEbdesign develops sites using the ProsePoint Newspaper content management system. Click Newspaper CMS Site to view more information.

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