Behind Simon & Schuster’s New ‘Green’ Initiative

The goals detailed in Simon & Schuster’s new environmental initiative and paper policy were developed by a group of company executives, including Joe D’Onofrio, senior vice president, supply chain; Karen Roman, vice president, director of production and manufacturing; Ann Ralph, director of paper purchasing; and Rothberg.

“The amount of information, the issues involved and the choices that had to be made turned out to be enormously … complex. … Our goals were developed out of what we thought we could realistically achieve in these areas based on the marketplace for fiber and available forest acreage for the types of paper we use,” says Rothberg. “It was a rather involved process. We had meetings with many of our suppliers to get a sense of the marketplace for recycled fiber and also their perspective on forest-certification issues. We had much counsel and guidance from Green Press Initiative. …”

The Green Press Initiative (GPI; www.GreenPressInitiative.org) works with book publishers to help them improve their environmental impact. “Simon & Schuster joins Random House as another multinational [publishing company] taking issues of social responsibility very seriously,” says Tyson Miller, executive director, GPI.

To achieve its goals, Simon & Schuster will work with its current suppliers, rather than seeking new suppliers, says Rothberg.

Increasing its use of paper with higher levels of recycled fiber will not be without challenges, however, particularly in terms of cost. “At current rates, there will certainly be increased costs to obtain this paper, but [this challenge is one] that we believe we can manage over time,” says Rothberg. “We are hopeful that as more publishers develop their own policies, collection efforts will increase, and suppliers will ramp up production to meet demand, creating a more robust marketplace for recycled fiber.” Another challenge will be longer lead times needed for paper delivery due to the limited availability of this type of paper, notes Rothberg.