Paper Preferred?

Published: February 13, 2020

By Joan Mantini

Research shows that around three out of four people think you can benefit from choosing to use paper when in educational and office settings. A recent study conducted by Isobar measured consumer attitudes on paper on behalf of the Paper and Packaging Board in 2019 and the results showed that consumer attitudes remain strong when it comes to paper’s value in their lives as well as their concerns about digital.  In fact, amongst the findings:

• 76 percent stated that sitting down with a printed copy of a magazine is a rewarding experience*;

• 69 percent agree they enjoy receiving direct mail and find it a good source of information/ideas in the study; and

• 67 percent agreed that printed catalogs inspire more ideas than browsing an e-commerce site*.

The research reports that 80 percent agree that it is important to take a break and “unplug” from digital devices, which is a trend that I think we will see rise over time as new research on the negative effects of being “plugged in” continues to surface. The report from the Isobar study alone stated that, “seven in 10 agree that being ‘plugged in’ all the time is unhealthy.”

In an effort to help entertain you while you are “unplugged,” amongst the articles in the February  issue of PFFC you can learn what every coating process engineer and equipment operator wants to know…  where to start when a coating problem surfaces with their product and four steps to resolving coating defects. “Extrusion Coating Machinery Addressing Recyclability” is another article within the issue which takes a look at how converters are addressing recyclability targets in flexible packaging with extrusion coatings machinery.

I am also excited to announce that Ted Lightfoot will an added columnist to PFFC in 2020. In his February column you can find out if gravure coating is right for you and learn the kinds of products that work best with gravure.

I also have good news for those of you who prefer to do your reading digitally.  All of our articles, as well as our digital editions, are posted on our website www.pffc-online.com.  Missed an issue? You can find it online! Want to know more about a specific topic? You can find in on our website as well.

*These numbers represent a four-year average of responses from those aware of the campaign over nine waves of research since 2015.