Outside Business Journal (OBJ), a publication that describes itself as the “most trusted source of news in the outdoor industry,” recently tarnished that reputation with an article titled, “Brands, here’s how much your paper sales catalogs are harming the earth.” The article's shaky conclusions are based on a report by a B2B platform, which in turn is based on output of a one-size-fits-all online environmental paper calculator that is poorly suited to deliver real-world results. While the author of the article admits that the B2B company's publication of such a report only serves its own business, which relies on companies making the switch to an all-digital platform, he clearly failed to take the next step in trusted journalism: validating the environmental claims with credible scientific sources.

Two Sides submitted an op-ed to OBJ to correct the unsubstantiated and misleading environmental claims about paper catalogs and to provide the facts about paper’s contributions to a more sustainable, circular economy, but the publication did not respond to our submission or follow-up attempts to contact them. We share our op-ed here and via social media to set the record straight. We invite you to share it with your audiences.

Does OBJ really support the conclusion that print on paper is bad for the environment as its article suggests? Perhaps not. Its latest 100+-page print edition drops today at Outdoor Retailer, the outdoor industry's largest trade show that typically attracts more than 25,000 attendees.