Dear Sir
This year, Sainsbury’s "tried something new". Instead of printing copies of their annual report for their shareholders, they delivered their entire review of the 2007/08 year, online. They said it was in keeping with their corporate responsibility principle or ‘respect for our environment’.
Printing these reports they said, would have significantly increased the amount of paper used and they hoped we’d all agree that this was a change for the better. Well, instead of trying something new, they’ve tried to pull the wool over our eyes. The paper industry is one of the great success stories of modern day recycling. Paper isn’t the enemy of the environment it’s made out to be.
Widely assumed myths such as paper destroys forests, wastes energy and increases landfill are grossly misunderstood by the public at large. Forestry, paper and packaging are among the most sustainable industries in existence. Paper is inherently sustainable. The forests that are planted and re-planted are also one of the main contributors to sucking up CO2 around the planet. Globally, individual forestry is estimated to result in the absorption of 1 billion tonnes of C02 a year.
Implying that their online report, which most readers will print on a power sapping office printer, probably on one sided paper, is good for our environment is phoney. Sainsbury’s are simply cutting print costs under the guise of saving the planet. What they are actually doing is saving money by inconveniencing many of their 120,000 plus shareholders. I for one don’t buy it.
Michael Johnson
Chief Executive
(August 2008)