As customers consider which products to purchase, and from which retailers, they’re looking at more than just product quality and price. Increasingly, consumers want to spend their money with businesses that make environmental stewardship a priority, implementing eco-friendly and sustainable practices.
Here’s some great news about print on demand: The print on demand industry has always been part of the eco-friendly movement, and it provides a viable way for you to develop products in a way that’s environmentally responsible.
Not only can print on demand manufacturing help you fulfill your corporate responsibility, but it can also be a credential that helps you earn the trust of environmentally-concerned customers. As such, it may be helpful to know a little bit more about print on demand’s green bona fides.
The Sustainability of Print on Demand Manufacturing
To begin with, it might be worth thinking about what sustainability really means. It’s not just eliminating waste, reducing pollution, and minimizing the use of paper, though all of those things are crucial. More than that, it’s ensuring a business model that runs as efficiently as possible, and that consistently avoids any unnecessary impact on the natural world.
No Overproducing
Print on demand manufacturing can help your business meet all of these criteria, and it does so in a number of ways. For one, print on demand manufacturing is innately anti-waste. Customers order the exact number of products that they need, and you print that precise amount. In other words, there’s no need to worry about generating a surplus of materials, or overestimating customer demand.
Less Physical Waste
Likewise, print on demand can help you avoid dumping out a bunch of garbage and waste. Specifically, you’re not going to have a huge inventory of unsold or outdated materials that eventually find their way into a dumpster or landfill. Again, print on demand is fundamentally opposed to waste.
Less Energy Consumption
The print on demand model is sustainable in other ways, too. For example, print on demand manufacturing requires a lot less energy than other manufacturing methods. That’s because printing onto a piece of paper, an article of clothing, or some other item requires one-tenth the amount of energy as actually manufacturing said item. And since print on demand doesn’t involve over-manufacturing, the bulk of print on demand energy use is simply from the printing itself.
Other Ways in Which Print on Demand is Lean and Efficient
Sustainability is closely tied to environmental stewardship, but more broadly, it can be used to describe any production model that’s waste resistant. Again, print on demand is a sustainable practice in more ways than one.
Lower Costs for Customers
For one thing, there’s less wasteful spending on the part of your customers. That’s because customers don’t have to order in bulk, or to overshoot their actual needs. Instead, they can simply order and pay for exactly the products they desire.
Easier Order Management
Additionally, because customers are selecting the exact products they want, when they want them, it’s considerably easier and less effortful to manage online ordering. The process is simplified and expedited both on the business side and on the customer side.
Lower Fulfillment Costs
Finally, by choosing a print on demand method, you can save on fulfillment costs, as you’re only printing what you need at any given time. This is yet another way in which print on demand helps you run a lean business, eliminating any undue waste.
Gooten’s Role in the Green Revolution
The bottom line: Print on demand manufacturing represents a business model that’s built on sustainability. By embracing print on demand, you can not only curb wasteful tendencies, but also make a good-faith effort at better ecological stewardship.
As a leading print on demand company, Gooten takes sustainability seriously. We’re happy to help our partners meet their sustainability goals, and to show them production models that are leaner and more efficient than they may have thought possible.
If you’re interested in learning more about how print on demand can be a sustainable practice, we’d love to chat with you. A good first step is to contact sales. The print on demand experts at Gooten are ready to address any of your sustainability questions or concerns.
