Print Leaflets Have a Lower Carbon Footprint Than Digital Advertising

Is digital advertising always the greener choice?

New research suggests otherwise.

A 2025 Life Cycle Assessment by the Öko-Institute found that print leaflets generated 642 kg CO2e per one million ad impressions, compared with 3,360 kg CO2e for digital advertising - giving print a 5.2x lower carbon footprint in the study.

While print creates most of its emissions during production and distribution, digital advertising continues to consume electricity every time an advert is delivered, viewed and processed across data centres, networks and devices.

The findings highlight the importance of considering the full environmental impact of every marketing channel. When measured on an equivalent reach basis, print remains a highly effective and surprisingly sustainable choice.