Nowadays we are striving towards a more sustainable lifestyle more than ever. That includes our shopping habits as well as business habits. Today we are looking into print on demand business model and assessing can it be eco-friendly and what steps you can take to make it more eco-friendly.
What is print on demand business
Let’s start with the basics. Print on demand means you are printing a custom design on a blank clothing or another item. You can print as many items you like from one to hundreds or even thousands. The difference from manufacturing is that the printing process happens only when there is an order, there is no stock of pre-printed items.
There are print on demand businesses that sell their own designs but they use a print on demand supplier to print those designs on clothing or other items. Common items to print are t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, tote bags. You can also print on demand canvas, posters, stickers, and even wallpaper.
Printing just when there is an order
One of the best things in print on demand business is that you print an item only when there is an order. That means that there is no pile of stock items that you need to sell out or destroy if they go out of style before they reach the customer. That is definitely one of the reasons why we consider print on demand business on the Planet-friendly side.
Casual items that are always on trend
Another plus for the print on demand business thinking from eco-friendly perspective – these businesses usually sell clothing items that are basics and therefore always on-trend. That includes hoodies, t-shirt, and sweatshirts. All of these clothing items haven’t really changed in design the last years so even if the print on demand supplier has a stock of these blank items ready for printing, they will get to use them – the items will not go out of style anytime soon.
Packaging
The packaging is a big one if we think about the environment. Print on demand items are not necessarily packaged eco-friendly. To be sure that the packaging complies with your values, you will need to check with your print on demand supplier and see what options they offer. To be fair though, a lot of companies are striving towards a more carbon-neutral footprint, so it might be easy enough to find a print on demand supplier that offers recycled paper packaging or compostable bags.
Products the supplier is printing on
Another big question is what are the items made of the print on demand supplier is using. It really depends on the print on demand supplier, but big chances are you will be able to find one that offers eco-friendly and ethically made items from organic cotton or recycled polyester. Even if the supplier hasn’t stated on their webpage that they’re using only eco-friendly materials, it is worth asking them where they source their items and what the process is. Maybe they are using “almost” eco-friendly items (sometimes you need to tick a lot of boxes to be able to add this label to an item) and maybe they are trying their best to have eco-friendly items but haven’t reached their goal yet. You asking and showing interest in these kinds of items, might help them reach their goal sooner.
Ask questions and look for transparency
One of the best ways to find out if a print on demand supplier is eco-friendly is to ask them all the questions you want to know and look for transparency. If a company has nothing to hide and they are striving towards a more sustainable business model, they will gladly answer your questions honestly and will not hide their shortcomings.
Find the best fit for your print on demand business
Even though we all want the environment to survive, sometimes it is really hard to create an eco-friendly business right from the beginning. Sometimes it means starting slow and building towards eco-friendly goals. So if you don’t find your perfect eco-friendly print on demand supplier on the first try, don’t worry! Keep looking and keep asking questions. The supplier wants to work with you and help your customers to have what they want, so, for example, if enough customers will demand organic cotton t-shirts, print on demand supplier will definitely find a way how to add them to their stock. So, when looking for a print on demand supplier, look for the one that is open to communication and really values their partners’ and their business needs.
In conclusion
Print on demand business can definitely be more on the eco-friendly side. Is it 100% eco-friendly? That depends on you as a business owner and your print on demand supplier, but there is definitely a potential to make this an eco-friendly business. And sometimes that is all we can ask for.
