It's Simple, Simon

Simon & Schuster joins the ranks of greener publishers

Posted at 2:33 PM on 08 Nov 2007

Random House has done it. Scholastic has done it. Even a publisher of the Bible is going green. So hey, Simon & Schuster: welcome aboard! The publisher, which counts such notables as Stephen King and Ursula Hegi among its authors, has committed to increasing its recycled-paper content from the current 10 percent to 25 percent or more by 2012. It will also buy at least 10 percent of its paper from Forest Stewardship Council-certified sources by 2012, "endeavor to eliminate the use of paper that may contain fiber from endangered and old-growth forest areas," and make shipping cartons "exclusively from 100 percent recycled post-consumer waste, subject to availability." We could do without the loopholes, but it's a start -- after all, the journey of a thousand Green Miles begins with a single step.

sources: Associated Press, Environmental Leader, Simon & Schuster

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Comments: (1 comment)

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kudos & questions

I congratulate Simon & Schuster for their big step. It is a bold green move!

But I was also wondering why Simon & Schuster didn't go a little bit further and at least matched its goals with the Green Press Initiative's Industry Treatise (Book Industry Treatise on Responsible Paper), already been adopted by more than 140 publishers.

Especially I'm referring to the treatise goal of "shifting the book industry's collective average use of recycled fiber from an estimated 5% recycled average at present to a 30% recycled industry average by 2012. "

Simon & Schuster said they'll move to 25% by 2012 (or greater aggregate, which is a bit vague). The difference of 5% might sounds marginal, but we're talking here about almost 100,000 trees a year!

And just to remind you, we have already one of the big publishing houses that is committed to a goal of 30% recycled paper - Random House announced last year it will incrementally increase the recycled paper content of its books to 30% by 2010.

I also hope to see Simon & Schuster going further and take responsibility for all the trees cut down to supply their paper that is not sourced out of recycled paper or certified forests (FSC). Even on 2012, it will total to more than 1.5 million trees a year!

All in all, it's a great day to all the eco-conscious book lovers out there, and I look forward to reading more news from the book industry that will start like this : "Simon & Schuster, Inc., and its employees are committed to publishing in a manner that both respects the environment and helps to preserve the world's great forest regions for the use and pleasure of future generations. "

Raz Godelnik
Eco-Libris
http://www.ecolibris.net

by raz at 9:39 AM on 10 Nov 2007

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