here's nothing quite like getting something for nothing. That's why even a paperback you know you'll never read or a compilation CD can suddenly offer a strange appeal when fixed to the front cover of a glossy magazine. Free gifts can help boost sales of magazines and offer the customer a sense of added value. There is no harm in that, right? Not so, says John Sanderson, Director of Environmental Affairs for UK, UPM - one of the world's leading forest industry groups and the leading producer of printing papers.
"The industry needs to ensure that it does not create barriers to the recycl-
ability of magazines. Poly bagging, varnishes and some cover mounts can all jeopordise the sustainability of a magazine as the mix of materials used can make cost-effective recycling difficult and hamper the environmental sustainability of the paper cycle," says John. "With the magazine industry, we have a basic product that is produced from a natural, renewable and recyclable material - what more could you want?"
Collaboration is key
Pressure on publishers to fully realise their green potential has never been higher and, quite rightly, shows no signs of abating. UPM is not only witnessing an incremental rise in demand for environmentally responsible paper each year, but also for the scope of that responsibility to widen and for the interconnectedness of the issues surrounding sustainability to be recognised. "A decade ago, the main concern was about how paper was produced, bleaching methods and chemicals. Then it was what fibre was used. Now, carbon footprint is a hot topic," says John. "To develop a sustainable paper and publishing industry, all aspects of paper production, print, distribution and how the customer uses the magazine must be considered. We need to look at all the issues together and collaborate with all industry stakeholders."
Laudable advances have been made in sourcing raw material fibres from sustainable sources - from recycled fibre or virgin fibre from sustainably-managed forests - and some industry players are doing great work looking into the carbon footprint of the magazine production and consumption cycle. In fact, 56% of waste is recycled by the printing, publishing and recording industry.
"We participate in regulatory consultations, stakeholder groups for certification standards and direct dialogue with NGOs," says John. "What both parties are trying to ensure is that wood products only originate from well-managed sources. Forests, and the raw material that can be harvested from them, are the very basis of our industry. If that resource is not managed sustainably, we don't have a future."
ARE PIXELS THE FUTURE?
Going digital cuts out any adverse environmental impacts from paper production, print and distribution. However, the environmental sustainability of digital magazines varies widely depending on how the reader uses the magazine. "A printed magazine has a set carbon footprint, which does not increase each time you open a page or pick it up to read something. With an online magazine, however, the carbon footprint increases each time you turn on your PC to download a page and - even more so if you print it off," says John.
So what more could be done? The use of recycled paper remains relatively low in magazine production, so more research into improving recycling technology to increase the proportion of recycled paper that meets the grade for magazine production is crucial. "Obtaining a quality stock with modern fibre recycling technology is possible, but the cost of doing so, on a large scale, is prohibitive owing to the additional costs of segregating the right quality of paper from the recovered paper collection stream. The degree to which recovered fibre would have to be cleaned in order to reach the required quality also increases costs," says John. "However, what is perhaps a more important goal is for all magazines to be recycled after use. We have to understand that the paper cycle is not sustainable without a continual input of virgin fibre from sustainable sources, and this fresh fibre has to enter the cycle somewhere."
DON'T BREAK THE CHAIN
While the onus is on magazine publishers to ensure the environmental sustainability of the industry, some responsibility falls on the shoulders of magazine consumers. If a magazine isn't recycled after use, then the cycle is broken, and currently only around 30% of magazine readers do so. Publishers can help by making advice on recycling clearer. Indeed, avoiding the temptation to hide these details in tiny type could encourage a rise in the frequency of recycling among magazine readers. One thing is now certain: the environment is no longer an issue that any of us can choose to ignore.
Case study: A green success
London-based Haymarket became the first major UK publisher to obtain the ISO 14001 environmental standard in 2005. Can Scottish magazine publishers learn from their experience? Chris King, Haymarket's Group Production Director, tells their story...
"Achieving ISO 14001 helped us to measure our environmental sustainability and set targets to reduce our carbon footprint. And winning the PPA Environmental Performance Award in 2006 recognised us for setting a precedent for other publishers. So far, 90% of our suppliers have also obtained ISO 14001 certification.
We have Chain of Custody, which means that all our paper is sourced from sustainable forests. Currently, two of our magazines are printed on recycled paper and we're talking to our paper suppliers to build on this. We're also striving to cut down on cover mounts. For instance, one of our titles is looking into removing its cover-mounted CD and making it available as a free download instead.
Haymarket is calculating the carbon footprint of all its magazines and carbon consumption levels will be displayed on them. This is in line with the green commitment of retailers such as Tesco, who have started to carbon label products. We also plan to measure the carbon usage of our website and events, and reduce it every year.
Looking ahead, we hope to investigate the use of water-based cover varnishes, vegetable inks and more environmentally friendly glues. We're also considering introducing green allowances for members of staff and magazines.
The environmental body of the PPA is working with a third party supplier to produce a carbon footprint calculator, which will be available to members this spring. Access to tools like this, and the wealth of experience shared at its meetings, is a great starting point for anyone's green journey and I recommend that all publishers take the time to avail themselves of it."
