It’s true, unfortunately. Books and magazines are made from paper, and paper comes from trees. The Publishing industry can be incredibly wasteful – for example, a large percentage of magazines that are printed are never sold. They’re returned to the publisher, where they’re destroyed. Even if that matter is recycled, a tree was killed once-upon-a-time for the paper to be made in the first place.
This is improving, of course. More recycled content is being used in the paper for books and magazines. For example, the book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was published by Raincost Books in Canada, and Raincoast used 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Ancient-forest friendly, FSC certified paper is becoming less expensive and more readily available. But books and magazines still kill trees.
I’m not an avid magazine reader – I often read magazine articles that I’m interested in online – and I recycle all the magazines that I buy. But I am guilty of purchasing huge numbers of books.
Sometimes I think that I should strongly consider e-books and an e-book reader,because in the long term it may be less wasteful and harmful to the environment, but this post shows, I love the physical book too.
So what’s to be done?
Some publishers are trying to make a start in a very logical place: children’s books. After all, catching people’s interest as young as possible may go a long way to increasing environmental consciousness. One day, those children may become adults who will demand that their books be printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Or, of course, those children may grow up to be adults who use the Kindle (or whatever it will be called in the future) and think that paper books are wasteful.
Either way, progress in the Publishing industry in terms of environmental impact is being made, and should continue. Hopefully we can have our books and magazines, and love our trees too.
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Books and Magazines Kill Trees
March 22, 2009 — amyelizabethgIt’s true, unfortunately. Books and magazines are made from paper, and paper comes from trees. The Publishing industry can be incredibly wasteful – for example, a large percentage of magazines that are printed are never sold. They’re returned to the publisher, where they’re destroyed. Even if that matter is recycled, a tree was killed once-upon-a-time for the paper to be made in the first place.
This is improving, of course. More recycled content is being used in the paper for books and magazines. For example, the book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was published by Raincost Books in Canada, and Raincoast used 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Ancient-forest friendly, FSC certified paper is becoming less expensive and more readily available. But books and magazines still kill trees.
I’m not an avid magazine reader – I often read magazine articles that I’m interested in online – and I recycle all the magazines that I buy. But I am guilty of purchasing huge numbers of books.
Sometimes I think that I should strongly consider e-books and an e-book reader,because in the long term it may be less wasteful and harmful to the environment, but this post shows, I love the physical book too.
So what’s to be done?
Some publishers are trying to make a start in a very logical place: children’s books. After all, catching people’s interest as young as possible may go a long way to increasing environmental consciousness. One day, those children may become adults who will demand that their books be printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Or, of course, those children may grow up to be adults who use the Kindle (or whatever it will be called in the future) and think that paper books are wasteful.
Either way, progress in the Publishing industry in terms of environmental impact is being made, and should continue. Hopefully we can have our books and magazines, and love our trees too.
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