A Catalog of Ills

Of the 17 billion catalogs mailed every year to American consumers (that's 59 catalogs for each and every one of us!), a surprising few contain recycled materials. An Environmental Defense survey released yesterday found that only six of 42 major catalog companies are using significant amounts of recycled paper, and most don't use any. Nary a single recycled fiber can be found in the pages of catalogs put out by big-name companies J. Crew, Nordstrom, Sears, and Williams-Sonoma. The same goes for all those L.L. Bean and Eddie Bauer catalogs that feature lovely pictures of Mr. and Ms. Perfect roughing it in style. (Newly engaged greenies take note: If for some reason, you must consume, you now know where not to register for wedding gifts.) Catalogs issued by Oregon-based Norm Thompson outfitters had the highest recycled content of those companies included in the survey.