Green Publishing Strategies

Add a Comment

Comment by Frank Locantore on October 17, 2008 at 11:10am

As someone that works for a non-profit helping magazines "green" their practices, I would never encourage magazines not to use paper. Digital publishing may augment a publication's delivery to readers just as newsstands are another way to get magazines into readers' hands beyond mailing subscriptions. The question to explore with thoughtfulness and determination is "what environmental impact does our publication have and how can we be better?"

"Green Publishing Strategies" is a term to help people assess what impact that their publishing actions have - on the environment and on communities - and explore ways to begin to minimize those impacts and then eliminate them.

In our personal lives, many of us look for ways to reduce the amount of trash we produce and increase how much we recycle; we often look for products made with recycled materials and not with harmful chemicals; and, we may reduce the amount that we drive and witness the growth of viable and less polluting energy options.

We can also take the same approach in our professional lives to make the magazines we work for and the industry in which we are a part, become increasingly more mindful about what impact - on communities and on the environment - that our decisions have.

Purchasing 100% virgin-fiber paper means that trees are being cut down somewhere and tremendous amounts of energy, water, and chemicals are being used to turn the solid wood tree into pulp for paper. Anywhere between 2.2 tons and 4.4 tons of fresh wood are required to make one ton of paper, while 1.4 tons of recovered paper from recycling programs is needed to make 1 ton of recycled paper while using mere fractions of the energy, water, and chemicals compared to virgin paper production.

That's really not surprising and quite a responsible way to run a business - produce the same quality product and have fewer inputs and costs. Of course, it may not be this easy when the current paper production system has been built to efficiently make virgin-fiber paper and not recycled paper.

Therefore, taking realistic and meaningful steps are necessary to move the paper manufacturing system to a more conservative and efficient production process in regards to fiber, energy, water, and chemical use. And it starts with the questions we ask our suppliers and the purchasing policies we adopt and implement.

Comment by Jennifer Graham on August 29, 2008 at 3:30pm

Hello. I work for a company by the name of Dirxion, a digital publishing company. Publishing in digital format is an excellent way to go green and to lower your carbon footprint.
Digital editions take printed publications to an entirely new level by offering functionality, such as hyperlinking, audio, video, search, banner advertising, plus much, much more. While digital editions transform your print into a rich media platfrom, they also maintain the value and integrity of your brand. You can reduce your print output with digital publications, but you don't have to eliminate the paper version of your publication altogether ... digital editions serve as an excellent compliment to your print! Plus, by offering your publication in both formats, you give readers a choice. Everyone loves a choice. If interested in learning more: www.dirxion.com.

Comment by Richard Michem on August 20, 2008 at 2:46pm

I suppose the best way to reduce carbon, or paper , or any of the resources that it take in publishing a magazine. Is to eliminate the paper version of the magazine. Then it would not be a publishing business left. It would be called what Gannett is now calling their former newsrooms, "Information Centers." Does anyone really want to see this happen, just to save a few trees?

Comment by Jonathan Howell on July 29, 2008 at 10:31am

Hi
My name is Jon Howell and I am the Sales manager for an event in the UK called Publishing Expo. It is in it's fourth year and the 2009 Expo looks like being the biggest yet with 120 exhibitors and 3,500 publishing executives attending the two days.

The reason I am a member of this group is that one of the largest attendance we received for our seminar sessions this year (2008) were on green issues-specifically around Paper.e.g see below

‘Green paper’ – economics and the environment
How easy/practical is it for publishers to have an environmental as well as an economic perspective on their paper? This case study shows how and why a publisher made a strategic decision to adopt an environmental stance on all its paper.

Christina Hallett, Group Circulation and Production Manager
Faversham House
Peter Sommerville, Marketing Director
Denmaur Papers plc

Buy your own paper
What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying paper independently of your printer? Case studies look at financial and quality issues, managing the process, economic and environmental considerations.
Mark Eisenstadt, Partner
Fusion Corporate Partners
Tim Langford, Business Development Director, Technology
Vitesse Media
Julian Townsend, Sales Director
Denmaur Papers plc

Paper and the environment – what are we buying?

What are the key environmental considerations when purchasing or specifying paper? Two mills who use both PEFC and FSC accredited systems explain how they source their fibre and ensure sustainability.
Erkki Peltonen, Group Director of Sustainability
Myllykoski Corporation
David Lucas, Managing Director
SCA Graphics UK
Chris King, Group Production Director
Haymarket
Peter Sommerville, Marketing Director
Denmaur Papers plc

Paper – Virgin or recycled?

The environmental merits properties of paper made from recycled or virgin fibre, where each is appropriate or relevant and where it isn’t. With a report from the UK recycling industry, including a case study of a UK recycling paper mill.
David Lucas, Managing Director
SCA Graphics UK
John Sanderson, Director, Regional Environmental Affairs (UK)
UPM Kymmene
Peter Sommerville, Marketing Director
Denmaur Papers plc

We are in the planning process for 2009 and whilst I have a large UK base to target for ideas and suggestions I am a big fan of looking outside our pond especially the US
So if any of you guys have the time and would like to put forward suggestions for topics on the green issue strategies you have implemented already or are thinking of doing it would be great to hear from you. I would really appreciate and value your input
All seminars/workshops are FREE to attend.

Full details on the focus format of the event can be found at www.publishingexpo.co.uk The site for 2009 will be launched shortly but the 2008 site will give you an idea on the focus, format, flavor of the 2 days on the types of seminars we run.

Whilst the event is UK based and 90% of exhibitors and visitors are from the UK as the show has grown it has attracted interest from European, Middle and Far East and US/Canadian visitors and suppliers to exhibit. The 2009 show will run from February 11-12th at Olympia 2 Hammersmith West London so if any of you guys happen to be in the UK for any reason (not the weather that's for sure :) ) during this time why not pop along-it's completely free to enter and view all the seminars and walk around the exhibition.

Thanks for your time guys and I hope I havent infringed any rules- guidlines of the group-apologies if I have!
I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience
Kind reagrds

Jon
Publsihing Expo 2009
0044 (0) 207 924 6563

Comment by SarahManski on July 8, 2008 at 4:56pm

Hello. I'm starting a national green magazine and I am looking for business partners including an experienced marketing person who knows how to find advertising money. I'm also looking to find the right contacts and investors. I want to include a partnership with recently retired or unemployed senior magazine execs who have an entrepreneurial bent and the desire to help the environment.