The FOLIO: Green Report

the Paper Problem For socio-cultural reasons—some obCustody” program to ensure that 100 percent of the fiber envious, some not—the kind of paper that publishers print tering the mill complies with controlled logging standards. their magazines on has become a barometer of sorts when (At the end of 2007, about 97 percent of the paper Hearst bought was COC-certified, with a goal of reaching 100 perconsidering how “green” a magazine is. Yet, of the 18,000 or so magazines printed in the United cent this year.) States, only 1 percent print on recycled paper consistently, What PaPer should You use? according to Co-Op America’s Magazine Paper Project. It is, for some publishers, one of the most intimidating First, Locantore says, the paper that publishers should not parts of publishing a greener magazine—and, despite new use are those that have no recycled content nor a virgin fiber component from areas of technology, one rife with social conflict or endangered misconceptions. ‘green’ issues Fail to convert forests. The paper that pub“There are only two difmagazines to recycled Paper lishers should use should have ferences in purchasing enDespite a Green cultural movement—real or perlegitimate environmental charvironmentally responsible ceived—and a spate of so-called “green issues,” magazines have largely failed to convert to recycled paper. acteristics—such as recycled paper instead of virgin fiber There are about 100 magazines currently printing content—and/or paper that is paper,” says Frank Locanon recycled paper, says Frank Locantore, director of FSC-certified. tore, director of the Magathe Magazine Paper Project for Co-Op America. LocanIn terms of paper quality, zine Paper Project. “The tore says cost, misconceptions about cost and general ignorance of publishers have contributed to the lack of recycled paper has evolved questions you ask your conversion. supplier, and the resources significantly in the last three Even a large number of “green issues” aren’t printed available for information.” years, with many suppliers on sustainable paper, something Locantore says is the Negotiating price, testing offering high-quality, glossy ultimate irony. And even when they do, most magazine publishers don’t continue the practice for their finishes while still remainthe sheet and working with non-green issues. Nonetheless, he says, there’s a mosuppliers, Locantore says, is ing environmentally friendly. mentum building for magazines to continue to demand the same. Quality hardly has to be sacgreen alternatives from their paper suppliers. n One of the most imporrificed to go green. Most recycled papers are available in tant steps in selecting environmentally-responsible paper is using a credible forest both glossy and matte finishes, in all weights for text pages certification service such as the Forest Stewardship Council and cover stock. to ensure the paper fiber you are using is harvested susThe main thing to consider when choosing paper is tainably and does not come from areas of social conflict or knowing how much of the paper is post-consumer waste (paper that has reached its intended end-use consumer— high conservation value forests. Hearst, for instance, requires the paper mills it buys from see accompanying sidebar on page 30). to pursue and/or operate a third-party certified “Chain of Presently, there is no standard for how much of the pa- rachael ray Goes (Dark) Green While many publishers seem to drag their feet on converting to recycled paper, Reader’s Digest’s Every Day with Rachael Ray—one of the industry’s biggest success stories of the decade—made a game-changing switch last November to 85 percent recycled paper with a minimum of 10 percent post-consumer. During a presentation at the Publishing Business Conference in March this year, Reader’s Digest paper manager Brian Schwarze touted the benefits of their switch to recycled paper: each year they save 125,000 trees, 7,800 pounds of hazardous air pollutants, 380 garbage trucks of solid waste, and over 25 million pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent worth of greenhouse gases. Additionally, the magazine is switching mills to one closer to its printer. “The new mill (outside of Chicago) is 160 miles from the printer (Quad, in Lomira, Wisconsin) compared with the old mill that was 1,060 miles away— that’s a savings of 900 miles one way,” the company explains. “That reduces emissions. Contrast that with some magazine papers that are trucked across the country or imported from Europe. Also, the mill is working with the printer on a closed loop system, so when they deliver the Rachael Ray paper the same truck would then be loaded up with the printed waste and shipped back to the mill.” “The press waste from the printing of Rachael Ray will go back into the actual paper being produced for a future issue. Makes sense, but understand that this is not the typical process in the industry.” n

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Folio Green Report What Does it Mean to be Green? Production Operations Editorial Distribution Events Marketing Digital One Publisher's Green Checklist

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