Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Printing Industries of America recently filed public comments on the proposed national Paper and Paper-Based Packaging Promotion, Research and Information Order. This program, advocated by the paper industry and its national trade association, American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), would be a new government-approved commodities "check-off" program funded by requiring a small assessment on the nation’s largest paper producers and importers. 

The goal of the program would be to market and promote segments of the paper industry by spotlighting both the economic importance of paper-based materials as well as the industry’s ever-improving sustainability record. If it is approved and as successful as advocates predict it could be, the Paper and Paper-Based Packaging Promotion, Research and Information Order would be welcomed as an effort to spur continued growth in certain areas of print while at the same time stemming decline in demand for other areas of print.

"Recent economic woes combined with a rapidly changing communications marketplace have put considerable pressure on both the printing and the paper industries," said Lisbeth Lyons, Vice President of Government Affairs for Printing Industries of America. "Printing Industries of America has been at the forefront of the effort promoting and marketing ‘The Value of Print.’ Our goals in the ‘The Value of Print’ program are to recognize and advance print’s economic footprint while at the same time debunking myths related to print’s sustainability and relevance in today’s ever-changing communications marketplace. More voices across the print supply chain are needed to make this case. Therefore, we are pleased to support our allies in the paper industry by encouraging the USDA to approve a formal marketing ‘check-off’ effort."

Lyons continued, "We believe it is vital to the future health and growth of the industry that consumers be well informed about the effectiveness and relevancy of printed communications in their everyday lives and in the world of commerce. We look forward to monitoring this proposal as it moves through the regulatory process to what we hope is final approval."