How to reduce waste when ordering your next print run

Many businesses or organisations can find themselves left with boxes of unused leaflets or out of date catalogues. It’s a common issue and in virtually all cases isn’t caused by bad intentions. It’s usually caused by over ordering, last minute changes or not having a plan for how to printed materials will be used before the order is confirmed. 

Reducing waste on ordering print marketing materials doesn’t mean you need to cut corners or limit your ambitions. By planning more carefully and working with a printer that understands sustainable printing, you can produce high quality print without the unnecessary excess. 

Only order the amount of print you need

The biggest cause of waste in print is simply over ordering. It’s easy to fall into the habit of ordering “just in case”, especially when unit prices drop with higher quantities. The reality is that working this way often results in print materials sitting unused, becoming out of date, and eventually being thrown away. 

Before placing any print orders its worth carefully thinking about how the materials will actually be used. How long will the new campaign run? How many will you realistically give out? Is the content going to need changing in the near future? Being clear about these questions will provide a good guide and avoid any overestimating. 

Modern digital printing makes it much easier and cheaper to order in smaller quantities. Print on demand options also allow you produce just what you need right now, with top up orders later. This approach will not only reduce waste but also gives you flexibility to change details. 

A good printing company will also advise on realistic quantities and suggest ways to avoid excess. Keeping your print orders to the amount you actually need not only cuts waste and saves money, it makes your marketing efforts more environmentally responsible. 

Design smarter to minimise waste

Before you even go to print, thoughtful design can play a role in reducing waste. Poorly planned page layouts, last minute changes or overly complex designs can all lead to excessive printed proofs, reprints, large amounts of offcuts and wasted materials. 

You can make your design more efficient by sticking to standard print sizes, thinking how laminations reduce the ability to recycle and the overall use of ink. Designing to common formats helps reduce offcuts during production and designs that are heavily saturated with colour will require more ink.

Always check spellings, dates, locations and contact details before approving artwork. Even just the smallest error can result in the entire print run becoming unusable. Taking time to involve everyone who’s part of the project in the sign off process can prevent waste and costly mistakes. 

Work with a sustainable print company

Reducing print waste isn’t just about not over ordering or how you design it, it can also be heavily impacted on who you choose to print with. A sustainable print company will already have policies and systems in place to reduce waste at every stage. Experienced operators know how to optimise layouts to reduce offcuts and use recycled papers as standard.

A sustainable printer will also encourage smarter ordering rather than pushing unnecessary large volumes. They’ll also be able to advise on finishes and laminates that can make eco friendly disposal more difficult.

Inkwell Printing

Did you know that sustainability is one of our core values? We’re committed to eco-friendly print practices – so for every tonne of paper bought we capture 0.56kg of carbon with the Woodland Trust and plant 14 Square meters of new woodland.

With us you don’t have to choose between quality results and your care for the planet, we allow brands to stand out and remain conscious of their footprint at the same time.