USA
Eco-Libris
Eco-Libris uses the motto “moving towards sustainable reading” and defines itself as a green company “working to green up the book industry”. Founded in 2007 and based in Brooklyn, Eco-Libris works with publishers, bookshops, non-profit organisations, authors and, particularly noteworthy, readers.
Eco-Libris is promoting green practices through a simple system of balancing out books by planting trees. This programme is open to anyone and its logic is very straightforward: for every book, one tree is planted. Those who want to get involved just have to donate according to the number of books they want to balance out. For instance, balancing out 5 books in 5 trees costs $5.00 USD.
Subsequently, for every tree planted, participants receive a sticker made from recycled paper, to put on the cover of the book that was balanced out in trees. A symbol of someone’s commitment to sustainability, the sticker is at the same time a mean to inspire others to do the same.
This green company has already balanced over 159,000 books in 169,000 trees, which were planted in developing countries of Central America and Africa with the support of three planting partners: the non-profit organisations Ripple Africa, based in the UK, and Sustainable Harvest International (SHI), and the Alliance for International Reforestation (AIR), headquartered in the USA.
Eco-Libris broad range of partners in the book industry include the self-publishing company Lulu, Little Green Books (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing), European publishers (Eli Publishing, in Italy, and Flux, in Norway) and bookshops in the US, UK and Ireland.
Personally, I consider that Eco-Libris stands out for its efforts to involve not only professionals but readers in sustainable initiatives, showing that they can actually play a role in the greener future of book production.
Image credit: Max Gladwell
Book Industry Treatise on Environmentally Responsible Publishing
Its comprehensive name describes with precision for what it stands for. The Book Industry Treatise on Environmentally Responsible Publishing was developed with the insight and collaboration of over 25 stakeholders, among which there were big and small, trade and academic publishers, printers, paper mills, manufacturers and merchants. This was a treatise developed by book professionals for book professionals, and I personally believe that is what makes it worth of account.
The agreement sets “attainable and measurable goals for improving the social and ecological footprint of the book industry”. The goals comprise:
- “Addressing global warming through the use of recycled fibre and renewable energy”: Specifically, shift the book industry’s consumption of paper to PWC, in a long-term basis;
- “Supporting the use of additional non-wood recovered fibres”: For instance, by supporting the use of renewable energies, such as wind, and by purchasing paper manufactured with wind;
- “Protecting Endangered and Highest Value Forests”. This supposes not using wood fibre from regions as the tropical rainforests in Latin America;
- “Supporting Best Practices in Forest Management”, for instance, by shifting the book industry’s paper consumption to certified paper only (FSC, PEFC, etc.);
- “Reducing Production Impacts”, by increasing the use of low VOC, soy-based inks and least toxic materials;
- “Recycling and Reducing Consumption”;
- “Human Rights”. Support the indigenous and local communities through the use of virgin papers that are FSC certified, and also ensure for the provision of fair wages and work conditions of the labours involved in overseas book production;
- “Transparency”. Signatories have to track their progress towards meeting the goals of the Treatise and report it.
A Leadership Council, composed by 10 publishers, printers, paper manufacturers and merchants (among which there are Harvard University Press, Chronicle Books and the organisation Green Press Initiative), was responsible for the implementation of the agreement and will conduct its future revisions. In 2013, the treatise has already been signed by 250 US book publishers, according to data provided on Eco-Libris.
While I was doing my research, I did not find any other agreement like this, exclusively dedicated to sharing environmental policies and more responsible practices for book production. This document is focused on the US book industry, but equally large book markets, such as the UK, would benefit from a “sector-wide holistic agreement on paper and publishing”, like this one.
Chelsea Green Publishing
Chelsea Green Publishing has been publishing titles about sustainable living for 30 years now, but what most appealed me in this independent house was that it is also seriously engaged in promoting sustainable practices across its business.
The publisher claims to be “regarded as the pre-eminent publisher of books on sustainable living” and to “lead the industry both in terms of content – foundational books on renewable energy, green building, organic agriculture, eco-cuisine, and ethical business – and in terms of environmental practice”. This house summarizes its mission in a general “triple bottom line” practice, principle which reminded me the guide lines of FSC’s mission: a practice that benefits people, the planet and profit, or in FSC words, “environmentally sound, socially beneficial and economically prosperous”.
The publisher, based on White River Junction, Vermont (USA) – a small, verdant place that seems to have been carefully chosen to match with this concept –, prints 95% of its books on recycled paper and, at least, 30% of this number on post-consumer waste paper. According to official information available on Chelsea Green website, books and catalogues are printed on chlorine-free recycled paper, using soy-based inks, whenever possible.
However, sustainable publishing is not only about paper, and this US publisher, which is also a member of the Green Press Initiative, has been cutting on shipping costs by contracting US and Canadian printers. I consider that this is a good example on how environmental decisions in book production are broader than choosing paper, and that today’s publishers, and particularly those working in production departments, have to be very creative on how to minimise their ecological impact, specially while facing budgetary constraints.
Image credit: GooglePlus Chelsea Green Publishing
Microcosm Publishing
Original, trendy and indie, Microcosm Publishing is a reflection of its city: Portland (Oregon, USA). Founded in 1996, Microcosm is not a conventional publisher. Highly committed to a sustainable way of living, the publisher declares to be specialised “in work designed to make the reader feel good about being alive, take an active role in bettering their life, and impact the world around them”.
Its extensive catalogue includes a wide range of subjects, from Art and Design to Vegan/Animal Rights, crossing over Music, History, Literature, Graffiti,… Its brand is very well defined, not only by its titles, but also by its vision. Everything in Microcosm Publishing has an eye-catching, strong design, and, for instance, even the logo – a chain-ring – expresses one of the higher social commitments of this publisher: everyday cycling. Immediately noticed as a bike-friendly and pro-creativity publisher, I considered Microcosm as a really interesting example for book production for 4 reasons:
- Firstly, it conjugates ecological awareness with style. Microcosm has several merchandise products, including reusable totes (made in the USA), that avoid the consumption and waste of paper and plastic bags;
- Secondly, its books are printed by national union workers. This shows a particular commitment of this publisher to labours and their rights. This is an ethical decision, and frequently publishers, and particularly production directors, have to consider this sort of ethical issues, about environmental and human rights, about where and with whom to print a book;
- Thirdly, all Microcosm books are printed on FSC certified paper, and the publisher is moving towards all production using PWC paper, 100% tree-free paper, with vegetable inks and bindings;
- Fourthly, work-related travels are made by bicycle or tricycle. According to The Publishers Weekly “the company provides incentives for its seven employees to walk, bicycle, or bus to get to work, and has 100% participation”.
Image credit: Team Colors
SFI – Sustainable Forestry Initiative
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is an independent, non-profit organisation that certifies forests and lands in the USA and Canada. Launched in 1994 by the American Forest and Paper Association, it is internationally recognised and endorsed by PEFC.
Like FSC and PEFC, SFI promotes responsible forest management, issuing CoC certifications. Similarly to others councils, their certified products are properly labelled.
Even if specialised in American forestry, SFI got my attention for the impact of its program SFI Forest Partners, which has the cooperation of two renowned and influential groups in the publishing industry: Macmillan Publishers and Pearson. Please read more here.
Image credit: Lydony
Green Press Initiative
Founded in 2001, the non-profit organisation Green Press Initiative was created to boost the implementation of sustainable patterns of production and consumption in the US book and newspaper publishing. Green Press Initiative’s concerns are more than exclusively forestry and paper related, working GPI closely with publishing stakeholders in order to, for example, preserve endangered species and minimise the book production impacts on native indigenous communities.
I decided to include GPI on my collection of green organisations for another main reason. Green Press Initiative provides a set of Tools and Resources for book and newspaper publishers, printers and paper mills who want to reduce their ecological footprint and environmental impact, being this information freely available on their website. Specifically for professionals in the book industry, GPI offers guidance on how to apply ecological measures and the following resources:
- A toolkit for publishers, printers, paper manufacturers and authors, with guidelines on the implementation of environmental policies and FSC certifications
- A suppliers lists, with contacts of suppliers using recycled and certified paper
- A set of articles, reports and case studies about the ecological impact of print and digital manufacturing in book production (as this one about the environmental impacts of ebooks)
GPI was also responsible for the Book Industry Treatise on Environmentally Responsible Publishing, which has already been signed by more than 250 publishers. A particularly interesting organisation, GPI is a fund grant program, but highly committed to both big and small houses. An example of that is the green publishing toolkit that the organisation developed for small publishers, in specific.
Interview with the Founder and Director of Green Press Initiative
Image credit: Georgetown University Press
Publishing gets green 