More than 300 printers and 250 print buyers completed the questionnaire, with respondents spread evenly across different turnovers and print spends. 

However, while almost two-thirds of printers have a formal environmental management scheme in place, respondents with a turnover of less that £1m said they had hardly any plans to boost their green credentials.

In addition, 77% of sub-£1m turnover printers said they had no environmental accreditations or standards. 

This was in comparison to businesses with a turnover of more than £10m, where only 7% have no accreditations or standards and more than 70% have achieved ISO 14001 status.

Overall, the findings of the survey suggest that the print industry is striving to do its bit for the environment and is responding to green challenges, but they also exposed a divide in priorities and opinions between print buyers and printers.

The survey came as a printweek.com poll found that almost 40% of respondents believed that the environment took a backseat during a recession, with 20% believing that an environmental commitment outstripped financial concerns.

For more, see PrintWeek's environment supplement out this Friday