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Greenpeace today welcomed the commitment made by UK publisher MQ Publications (MQP) to phase out pulp produced from the world's last remaining ancient forests from its books.
MQ Publications is working with Greenpeace to switch their supply to 'ancient forest friendly' paper such as recycled paper and/or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper (1). MQ Publications is the first UK publisher that has, so far, publicly announced its collaboration with the Greenpeace Book Campaign (2).
Greenpeace Forest Campaigner Belinda Fletcher said, "It is great news that MQ Publications have made this long term commitment towards environmentally and socially responsible paper sourcing. By taking this step they have thrown down the gauntlet to less progressive publishers, like Harper Collins, who have, so far, been reluctant to take the issues raised by the campaign seriously".
MQP's announcement coincides with the launch its latest book 'The Armchair Environmentalist', released on the 28th October, which has been printed on a 100 percent recycled paper.
MQP CEO Zaro Weil said 'We were unaware that the paper we had always assumed was ancient forest friendly just wasn't. So we teamed up with Greenpeace to ensure that we cleaned up our act. In doing so we issue a challenge to other UK publishers to follow suit'.
'The Armchair Environmentalist', by environmental author Karen Christensen, gives readers a 'three minute a day action plan to save the world'. It focuses on what individuals can do to reduce their use of energy and water and create a healthier environment at home and at work.
The text pages of the book were printed on a 100 percent recycled coated paper, Cylclus Offset, produced by the Danish manufacturer Dalum. The cover was printed on a 100 percent recycled paper called Corona Offset. MQP managed to source the paper and print 'The Armchair Environmentalist' for no appreciable extra cost and the recycled paper was a good substitute for the virgin paper they would normally have used.
This book is one of four that MQP is producing on recycled paper this year. The other titles are 'The Fearless Traveller' (a book of travel tips) by Charlotte Beech and two books of recipes, 'Homemade Muffins' by Carol Tennant and 'Homemade Cookies' by Jacqueline Bellefontaine.
MQ Publication's commitment signals a growing trend amongst some UK book publishers to respond to the paper sourcing issues raised by the Greenpeace Book Campaign. This summer Pearson, who own Penguin, introduced a global paper policy, which includes a commitment stating that 'where practical, and viable, we favour using paper products with recycled content' (3). Last month BBC Books printed 'More Nation's Favourite Poems' on a 30 percent FSC certified paper and stated that it wished to use FSC certified paper for similar titles as well as for its illustrated books. Bloomsbury has also made initial steps by printing the paperback edition of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on a part recycled paper (4), following the 2003 printing of the Canadian edition of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by Raincoast Books on a 100% post consumer recycled paper.
This trend is also reflected in Europe where, in April, fourteen Dutch publishers, representing 75 percent of the fiction market, committed to using ancient forest friendly paper for their books. Italian publishers Einaudi and Bompiani have also started publishing books by some of their leading authors on 100 percent recycled paper. In September, Isabelle Allende's Spanish publisher Random House Mondadori printed the youth hardback edition of Forest of the Pygmies on 100 percent recycled paper and the adult hardback edition on 30 percent FSC certified paper. Random House Mondadori also committed to print all its youth books under its Montena label on recycled paper by 2005.
Further Information
For more information on the Greenpeace Book Campaign contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.
(1) Ancient forest friendly paper is defined as recycled paper with a high post- consumer waste content and/or virgin pulp certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
(2) The Greenpeace Book Campaign was launched last autumn following research into the paper procurement policies of the top UK publishing houses. This revealed that UK publishers were printing books on non recycled paper, sourced from countries like Finland, which contains some of the last fragments of ancient forest in Europe and from forests in Russia, where at least 50 percent of logging is estimated to be illegal. Many publishing houses are also printing children's titles in South East Asia, on paper that could be linked to South East Asian rainforest destruction. The campaign is being supported by 16 UK authors including JK Rowling, Helen Fielding, Philip Pullman, Joanna Trollope and Ian Rankin.
(3) Pearson's paper policy is accessible at http://www.pearson.com/community/paper.htm
(4) In July Bloomsbury printed the children's paperback of 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' on a 10 percent post consumer recycled paper. The adult version of the paperback was printed on 20 percent post consumer recycled paper.
