PAPER
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Cost considerations Steve says that cost is still an important consideration when discussing paper with customers. “If the first question the customer asks is, ‘what's the price of your paper?’ Then you know that it's going to be all price-driven,” he says. “Resellers have got to try and get them away from that and start talking to them about overall service. But you still get dealers, and probably more so the contract stationers, that will either sell paper at cost or below and then make it up on other products because they know to win that business, the paper pricing must be extremely keen. “In some instances, it's still that loss leader, but even if you're making money on paper, you're not making a lot.” Michelle agrees on the importance of cost. “Cost is always at the forefront and now more so than ever, its particularly important in high use areas – for example education, printing services and transactional data, which is why all our bills are online,” she says. “There is still high demand for cheap paper, but the deciding factors are the industry and type of document to be produced i.e. letters, flyers, menus, booklets or posters. For example, in education they often use different colours to aid reading for the pupils that can often
be upwards of double the white paper print costs.”
Sustainability concerns While cost is important, so are issues such as sustainability. Dr Liz Wilks, head of sustainability and public relations at APP, notes that sourcing from well- managed forests has been a key part of the purchasing decision for the last 30 years since the two global forest certifications were put in place, notably FSC & PEFC. “Paper is one of the most sustainable raw materials from source to end of life – it can be recycled up to seven times,” she says. “Of course, there are different considerations in sourcing paper i.e. virgin fibre with a forest certification or recycled paper. APP also goes beyond this being deforestation free since 2013. “Sustainability is a core consideration at APP, and we recognise the importance of sourcing materials from sustainably managed forests, such as those certified by the PEFC. We also work closely with our suppliers to ensure they follow environmentally responsible practices. By integrating sustainability into our process, we aim to minimise our environmental footprint, support responsible forestry practices, and provide our customers with high-quality, eco-friendly paper products.” Liz says that resellers should keep emphasising the environmental qualities of using paper and explaining the labels that reflect this such as PEFC. “The consumption of paper is in fact sustainable,” she says. Michelle agrees that sustainability is an important consideration. “Customers have to use paper so the buying scales are weighted against cost and sustainability as the companies themselves often have green credentials to meet,” she says. “Printer manufacturers and software solution providers all now look at sustainability with some planting trees to offset the paper their customers use in
Steve Carter managing director Advantia
advantia.co.uk
“
If the first question the
customer asks is, ‘what's the price of your paper?’ Then you know that it's going to be all price-driven. Resellers have got to try and get them away from that and start talking to them about overall service.
”
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