Simon & Schuster executives talk about launching an environmental policy that outlines companywide goals, including increasing the use of recycled fiber by 150 percent.

By Janet Spavlik

“We look forward to working with our vendors and partners in the supply chain, and our colleagues at other publishing houses and in other industries to create a robust marketplace for recycled fiber, to encourage responsible forest-management practices, and to continue to find ways in which we can have a positive impact on the environment,” says Carolyn K. Reidy, who will replace Romanos as Simon & Schuster’s president and CEO in 2008.

In addition to increasing its use of more environmentally friendly paper, Simon & Schuster’s new paper policy includes other commitments to green publishing, including recycling all inventory destruction as mixed-use paper and purchasing shipping cartons made from 100-percent-recycled post-consumer paper.

Simon & Schuster also has established a list of companywide “Eco-Friendly Practices.” Many of the practices were already in place, Rothberg explains, while others are relatively new, including the launch of an electronic manuscript program in the sales division. As a result of this program, all Simon & Schuster sales reps have been given an e-book reader and will now download manuscripts, replacing the need for photocopied manuscripts. The company estimates that this initiative has the potential to reduce the number of manuscripts reproduced for its sales division by 20,000 per year.

Rothberg adds that his company hopes that its environmentally focused efforts will inspire other publishers to follow suit with similar initiatives.

“Simon & Schuster is truly adding to the continued momentum of transformation underway in the book sector,” notes Miller of GPI.