18 Tips for Environmentally Conscious Publishing
Lisa Holton, previous president of Scholastic Trade Publishing and Book Fairs, says, “Scholastic worked hard with our suppliers and the Rainforest Alliance to secure this extraordinary amount of recycled and FSC-certified paper for ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.’”
16. Seek helpful resources. The GPI exists to support publishers in their environmental efforts. Paper, suppliers, printer lists and other tools are available online at GreenPressInitiative.org. “We provide tools and resources, planning and implementation assistance—day-to-day problem solving, and are a resource for support,” says Miller. “The GPI also works with printers and mills to continue developing an infrastructure for book publishers that meets production needs with the least environmental impacts.”
17. Set goals and benchmarks. “Publishers have the opportunity, through the products they choose and those they reject, to serve as environmental stewards in improving the production practices of the entire book publishing sector,” says Miller. “Establishing goals is the best way to provide clear signals and build alliances with the supply chain.” The process for implementation will vary between publishers; however, all publishers are encouraged to meet or exceed the following goals:
• By 2012, achieve an aggregate average (based on weight) of 30-percent recycled content (majority post consumer), and
• By 2012, utilize FSC (or equivalent) certified papers, for at least 20-percent of paper-use.
“Publishers are also encouraged to develop their own incremental benchmarks, which can assist in realizing the above objectives,” adds Miller. “For example, 20-percent recycled content, and 10-percent FSC certification by 2010; 25-percent recycled content and 15-percent FSC by 2011, etc.”
18. Communicate at all levels. To accomplish these goals, Random House’s Van Der Laan suggests reaching out to employees at all levels of the organization. “It is important to talk to people who are doing the actual day-to-day work because they understand the company’s processes and practices better than two or three people in a conference room ever could,” he says.
