UK
Alastair Sawday Publishing
Alastair Sawday is the man behind Alastair Sawday Publishing. Alastair Sawday is a widely known environmentalist, who proudly had a “green” career even before starting his publishing company in 1994. He was involved with Oxfam, the Green Party, and was the vice-president of the Soil Association, a British charity campaigning for sustainable food, farming and land use. In the 70s, he also founded the Avon Friends of the Earth, that played an important role in the development of recycling in the UK.
Alastair Sawday Publishing is a very interesting example of environmentally sound publishing. Sawday’s imprint is specialised in ecological and organic tourism, publishing accommodation and travel guides (B&B, hotels, pubs and restaurants) of eco-friendly places around the world. Its guides offer suggestions on where to eat local and organic food or where to spend a night closer to the nature: perhaps in a treehouse.
Notwithstanding, the green ethics goes well beyond its list of titles. Sawday’s claims to have reduced its carbon emissions to 7 tonnes per year and to have installed a wood-pellet boiler, solar panels, a rainwater tank, as well as low-energy lighting. The publisher even uses an ethical Bank for its deposit accounts.
But specifically regarding book production, I considered that Sawday’s was a remarkable example for both small and large publisher on what can be done to reduce publishers’ environmental impact. Sawday’s works with a British, certified printer, and decides, together with the printer, the most adequate paper to use. Furthermore, the publisher is also engaged in overseas projects to balanced out its books by planting new trees.
Image credit: B&B Association
Green Books
A Devon based house, Green Books has been publishing books on sustainability, eco-building, eco-philosophy and green living for over 25 years. It claims to be “the UK’s largest independent environmental book publishing company, producing books on a wide range of ecological and cultural issues.”
Since its foundation, the publisher has been working side by side with The Schumacher Society, an organisation that promotes the legacy of the British economist E.F. Schumacher (author of the widely celebrated Small is Beautiful), through the discussion of sustainable and ecological solutions.
In 2009, John Elford, founder of Green Books, stated that their publications had been systematically printed within 150 miles from their offices in Devon, using vegetable inks, and also that the majority of books had been printed on 100% PCW paper. From a financial point of view, these green measures promote the local sustainability, which is additionally beneficial for a small publisher – of 8 employees only – like this one.
It is a fact that decisions such as printing an entire list on recycled paper might not be a profitable option, at least, for now, for big publishing houses. Recycled paper is more expensive than virgin paper, and it is worth reminding that its process is not purely ecological, since it soaks up energy and chemicals. Regarding large houses, The Publishers Weekly mentioned that Hachette is now using 10% of recycled fibre, contrariwise to Penguin that is only using recycled paper for printing, copying (100% recycled) and stationery (75%).
Despite its differences – either in prominence, size or income – small and large publishers face the same problems and need to take similar decisions in order to minimize their environmental impact and ensure sustainability. They might be about paper, inks, gas emissions, light consumption in offices, or even about reducing unnecessary costs in business travels.
Image credit: Green Books
CAT – Centre for the Alternative Technology
CAT is an eco-centre, based in Wales, dedicated to the education and promotion of practical solutions for sustainability. A mega complex as well as a mega organisation, CAT was founded in 1973, and covers a wide range of areas regarding sustainable living, from environmental building to renewable energy.
Despite being particularly known for its courses and facilities – for example, a large visitor centre with several attractions (photovoltaic pannels, windmills…) and Britain’s largest green bookshop – the reason why I chose to include it in my list of green publishers was due to the green policy of CAT Publications.
All the books printed by this publisher follow the environmental policy of its eco-organisation, and therefore are ethically green. The publisher prints its books locally, “within a fifty mile radius”, and “never uses printers based outside mainland Britain”. According to Graham Preston, Production designer at CAT, the publisher only uses recycled or FSC accredited paper, and works with printers, suppliers and distributors with sound environmental policies. He declares: “It might cost us a bit more but we stick to our guns on this. It’s all about making publishers aware of their damage and encouraging everyone to do their bit.” (The Bookseller, 26/09/2008).
Image credit: CAT
PGN – Publishers Green Network
The Publishers Green Network is a voluntary, non-profit organisation formed by members of the publishing industry based in the UK. It was founded in 2007 by members of Pearson, Alastair Sawday Publishing and Hachette to promote environmental awareness at grass-roots level, providing help on green practices and ecological initiatives to “any executives involved in environmental initiatives within their publishing houses”.
The group is open to anyone, regardless the position, role or department, and its initiatives are aimed to all UK publishing houses, from the largest groups to the most independent publishers. At the moment, 30 publishing houses are involved in the network. Meetings are held twice a year on a wide range of matters: energy reduction initiatives, environmental staff engagement, supply chain integrity, waste management and the impact of digitisation, juts to mention some of a broader list.
Certainly, a good initiative to keep professionals, from all areas of publishing, informed about greener trends in book production.
Image credit: Facebook Publishers Green Network
Publishing gets green 