Advania Iceland helps customers minimise unnecessary printing
What was your motivation behind the project?
We provide printing services for a lot of companies in Iceland. Since they still send out letters, invoices, and other printed papers, they also want their own branded company envelopes. Some of these envelopes are printed in a separate place from the letters we print for them. This means that transportation is necessary between the different stops, which is not very environmentally friendly or practical. Therefore, we decided to encourage our customers to reduce this kind of envelope printing or even take the full step and stop all printing and choose electronic solutions instead.
How did you introduce this to customers?
We used the opportunity that arose when we had to communicate pricing adjustments to encourage customers to go completely electronic and stop sending printed letters in printed envelopes, or at least reduce printing dramatically. We received positive feedback, as customers saw the benefits of reduced cost as well as a reduced impact on the environment.
Some of our clients are banks that have a legal obligation to mail out printed papers like billing letters, and the post office must know the sender in case they have to deliver it back to them. For those cases going fully digital is not an option, so we came up with a different solution that would still reduce printing: envelopes with big, clear windows. Instead of printing the sender’s and recipient’s information on an envelope, they simply moved that information on their letters so it would be visible through the clear window.
What are the results so far?
Many of our customers decided to reduce printed mail and some customers even decided to go completely electronic. Very few will be continuing to use these printed envelopes. One customer who previously printed envelopes and paper for mail delivery for hundreds of thousands of ISK every year has announced that starting from May this year, they will no longer be printing out these kinds of letters in printed envelopes.
Why was this an important project for Advania Iceland?
We want to showcase that by using technology, companies can reduce cost, waste, resource usage and emissions. This is just one example of how digitalisation can remove the need for producing a physical product, and reduce waste, transportation, and the emissions that follow. It also shows how we can help our customers cut costs and lower their environmental impact at the same time. Still, it is important to remember that even electronic mail sent through data centres powered by renewable energy has a climate impact, even though it is substantially more environmentally friendly. We aim to be a positive force in society when it comes to sustainability and highlight where IT can act as an enabler for sustainable development.
