BOOK INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENTAL TRENDS 2016

BOOK INDUSTRY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRENDS 2016
A Research Report by the Book Industry Environmental Council
Prepared by Green Press Initiative

INTRODUCTION
AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Tracking environmental trends in the U.S. book industry remains a key priority of the Book Industry Environmental
Council (BIEC). This study is the fourth assessment of environmental trends and impacts of
the U.S. book industry. The first assessment was published by Green Press Initiative and the Book Industry
Study Group in 2008 (using 2006 survey data) and subsequent surveys have been carried out by the Book
Industry Environmental Council. The most recent survey is based on surveys of book publishers, printers
and paper manufacturers conducted in 2015 and requesting data from 2014.
While previous surveys have attempted to get useful data from publishers and printers, the previous round
(requesting data from 2012) failed to generate enough responses to garner useful information from these
sectors of the book industry. As a result, the surveys for book publishers and printers were substantially
changed in 2015 to make the surveys shorter and easier to answer. Questions asking about the amount of
paper used, how much was certified to different standards, and the average recycled content, were replaced
with simplified questions that aimed to identify whether or not different types of fiber and certified paper
were used in 2014, and if so, whether the survey participant expected their company to use more, less or
the same amount of each in 2015. Questions asking about the company’s environmental policies and other
environmental goals and commitments were consistent with those asked in previous years. As in previous
years, paper manufacturers were again asked to provide specifics about the quantity of book paper produced
and the percentages of recycled fiber and third party certified paper.
With data spanning across nearly a decade it is possible to see long
term trends and changes regarding key environmental metrics. This
historical data provides substantial context for the most recent survey
data and for future surveys. One of the most notable trends from
the data in the current surveys is the continued decline in the use of
recycled fiber in book papers. After increasing rapidly between 2004
and 2009, the average recycled content in book papers reported by
paper manufacturers leveled out between 2009 and 2010 and decreased
slightly by 2012. The most recent data show that not only has
the downward trend in recycled fiber in book papers continued, but
it has decreased at an accelerating rate with average recycled content
from participating manufacturers dropping from 22% recycled fiber
in 2012 to just 12% in 2014.
Many within the industry believe that a large contributor to this decrease
is the increasing trend towards single stream curbside recycling
– a practice which results in greater contamination and lower
usable fiber yield (especially for the production of fine printing paper
used in books). Such contamination ultimately increases the cost of
producing high-quality recycled printing and writing grades. As a
result, certain companies that produce recycled book grades either
reduced the recycled content of those grades or stopped making
recycled book papers. We offer more on this trend in the conclusion
of the report.
WITH DATA SPAN-
NING ACROSS
NEARLY A DECADE
IT IS POSSIBLE
TO SEE LONG
TERM TRENDS
AND CHANGES
REGARDING KEY
ENVIRONMENTAL
METRICS.

TRENDS IN RECYCLED FIBER IN BOOK PAPER
PERCENTAGE RECYCLED FIBER
Additionally the percentage of book papers that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council has
decreased for the first time since efforts to track its use in books began in 2006; and the decrease was
dramatic, especially considering the rapid increase in FSC certified book papers in previous years.
TRENDS IN FSC CERTIFIED PAPER
YEAR
PERCENTAGE OF FSC CERTIFIED PAPER
YEAR
In total, when considering all types of certification, there was a dramatic decrease between 2012 and 2014.
Book papers that were certified by any certification system decreased to 47% from a high of 81% in 2010.
Of note, the decreases in recycled fiber and certified paper were reflected in grades reported by manufacturers
as “paper suitable for use in books.” This may not directly reflect paper that was used by publishers, however,
the declines reflect a need for all in the book industry collaboratively to consider what has changed and to
identify new opportunities to increase the use of recycled and certified paper.
The following sections outline the full results of the surveys for publishers, printers and paper manufacturers.
They also highlight current environmental initiatives and future expectations regarding the use of environmentally
responsible paper and other environmental trends.
3

PUBLISHER RESPONSES
In total 11 publishers participated in the survey. While the largest number of responses came from midsized
publishers (revenues of $10-$100 million) three participating publishers had revenues of over $100
million with two of the three having annual book revenues greater than $500 million.
WHAT WERE YOUR COMPANY’S TOTAL REVENUES FROM PUBLISHING BOOKS
AND COLLATERAL PAPERBOARD PRODUCTS IN 2014?
4
NUMBER OF RESPONSES
2
1
1
3
RANGE IN ANNUAL BOOK REVENUES
Based on 11 responses.
All participating publishers used recycled paper in 2014, and the vast majority (82%) expected to use the
same amount of recycled paper in 2015, while 18% expected to use more recycled paper in 2015 than in
2014. None of the participating publishers expected to use less recycled paper in 2015 and none used agricultural
or alternative fiber in 2014.
Nearly all of the participating publishers (91%) used FSC certified paper in 2014, and as with recycled fiber,
the majority expected to use the same amount of FSC certified paper in 2015, though a relatively larger percentage
of those using FSC certified paper expected to use more in 2015 (40%). A slight majority of publishers
(55%) used SFI or PEFC certified paper in 2014 and of those publishers most (83%) expected to use the same
amount in 2015, with the remaining publishers expecting to use more SFI or PEFC certified Paper in 2015.
Only two publishers reported their company having a specific recycled fiber target for the year 2020 or
sooner. One in the range of 11% to 15% and one in the range of 21% to 25%. Three publishers reported
having a policy with a general goal to increase recycled fiber but no specific target and one had a specific
target, but the timeline extended beyond 2020.
4

Four publishers indicated their company’s environmental policy had a specific target for increasing third
party certified paper and all of those targets were in excess of 90%. An additional three publishers reported
that their corporate policy included a general goal to increase the use of third party certified paper, but not
a specific target. The charts and tables below summarize additional finding from the publisher surveys.
PUBLISHER FIBER/PAPER USAGE
100%
0%
18%
82%
0%
91%
9%
40%
60%
0%
55%
45%
17%
83%
0%
Based on 11 responses.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER CONSUMPTION BASED OR OTHER PAPER RELATED INITIATIVES
THAT YOUR COMPANY HAS IMPLEMENTED TO REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS?
Based on 11 responses.
5

IF YOUR COMPANY HAS IMPLEMENTED OTHER CONSUMPTION BASED OR PAPER
RELATED INITIATIVES TO REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, WHICH OF THE
FOLLOWING HAS YOUR COMPANY IMPLEMENTED: (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)
4
3
2
1
1
Based on 5 responses.
DOES YOUR COMPANY CURRENTLY POSSESS CHAIN OF CUSTODY CERTIFICATION
FROM ANY OF THE FOLLOWING? CHECK ALL THAT APPLY.
7
3
0 0 0 0
IF YOUR COMPANY DOES NOT CURRENTLY POSSESS CHAIN OF CUSTODY CERTIFICATION
FROM ANY OF THE CERTIFICATION SYSTEMS IN THE PREVIOUS QUESTION, ARE THERE
ANY FUTURE PLANS TO DO SO?
6

EXPLANATIONS FOR WHY COMPANY DOES NOT HAVE CHAIN OF CUSTODY CERTIFICATION
Not company policy
We are currently satisfied with using the printer’s certification and do not see an advantage to
becoming FSC certified ourselves.
Don’t believe it is a priority at this time.
Not necessity at this time
Don’t know what it is
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES AND CARBON FOOTPRINT
64%
36%
50%
25%
25%
36%
64%
83%
*Based on 11 responses
**Based on 4 response indication they do not currently have an environmental policy
7

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING BEST DESCRIBES YOUR COMPANY’S PROGRESS TOWARDS
ACHIEVING THE RECYCLED FIBER GOAL IN ITS POLICY?
Based on 8 responses.
The one company reporting that it was not on track to meet recycled fiber goals in its policy indicated this
was due to capacity and availability.
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING COUNT TOWARDS CERTIFIED PAPER TARGETS SPECIFIED
IN YOUR COMPANY’S POLICY?
7
4
2
3
0 0
1
Based on 8 responses.
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING BEST DESCRIBES YOUR COMPANY’S PROGRESS TOWARDS
ACHIEVING THE CERTIFIED PAPER GOAL IN ITS POLICY?
Based on 7 responses.
8

FIBER TESTING
27%
73%
67%
33%
67%
33%
*Based on 11 Responses
**Based on 3 responses indicating they did fiber testing
DOES YOUR COMPANY CONSIDER PRINTER LOCATION AND YOUR COMPANY WARE-
HOUSE LOCATION(S) WHEN MAKING PRINTER CHOICES?
Based on 11 responses.
HOW DOES THE MAJORITY OF YOUR PAPER SHIP TO THE PRINTING LOCATION(S)?
Based on 11 responses.
9

PRINTER RESPONSES
In total 12 printers participated in the survey with the largest number of participants having book-related
revenues in the range of $50 million to $100 million as indicated in the chart below.
WHAT WERE YOUR COMPANY’S TOTAL REVENUES FROM PRINTING BOOKS AND
COLLATERAL PAPERBOARD PRODUCTS IN 2014?
5
4
NUMBER OF RESPONSES
3
0 0
RANGE IN ANNUAL BOOK REVENUES
Based on 12 responses.
All participating printers used recycled paper in 2014, with three quarters expecting to use more recycled
fiber in 2015 and one quarter expecting to use the same amount.
As with recycled fiber, 100% of participating book printers used FSC certified paper in 2014 with the
majority (67%) expecting to use the same amount in 2015, and a quarter expecting to use more. One of the
12 participating printers expected to use less FSC certified paper in 2015 and cited a lack of demand from
customers as the reason for this expectation.
Three quarters of participating printers reported using SFI or PEFC certified paper in 2014 and of those
67% expected to use more in 2015. Interestingly a substantial minority (22%) of printers using SFI or PEFC
certified paper in 2014 expected to use less in 2015, while 11% expected to use more.
As with participating publishers, none of the printers who participated in the surveys used agricultural or
alternative fiber in 2014.
10

Only two printers reported specific targets for increasing the use of recycled fiber—one in the range of 16%
to 20% and one in the range of 25% to 30%. Similarly, only one printer reported having a specific target for
third party certification with a goal in the range of 11% to 20%, while three reported that their corporate
policy included a general goal to increase the use of third party certified paper but set no specific target.
The charts and tables below summarize additional findings from the printer survey regarding paper usage,
other environmental initiatives and environmental policies and goals.
PRINTER FIBER/PAPER USAGE
100%
0%
25%
75%
0%
100%
0%
25%
67%
8%
75%
25%
11%
67%
22%
Based on 12 responses.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER CONSUMPTION BASED OR OTHER PAPER RELATED INITIATIVES
THAT YOUR COMPANY HAS IMPLEMENTED TO REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS?
Based on 12 responses.
11

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING OTHER CONSUMPTION BASED OR PAPER RELATED INITIA-
TIVES TO REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS HAS YOUR COMPANY IMPLEMENTED:
3
1
0
1 1
Based on 4 responses.
The respondent indicating “other” indicated the company recently implemented a new press that
reduces waste.
IF YOUR COMPANY HAS NOT IMPLEMENTED OTHER CONSUMPTION BASED OR PAPER
RELATED INITIATIVES, ARE THERE ANY FUTURE PLANS TO IMPLEMENT OTHER CONSUMP-
TION BASED OR OTHER PAPER RELATED INITIATIVES?
Based on 8 responses.
EXPLANATION OF WHY THERE ARE NO FUTURE PLANS TO IMPLEMENT OTHER CONSUMPTION BASED OR
OTHER PAPER RELATED INITIATIVES?
“We do what our customers ask us to do.”
“Because most our customers purchase the paper.”
“We are already at zero landfill status and use certified papers, soy inks, etc. - there isn’t
much else we can do to improve from an environmental perspective.”
“Need to use most cost effective materials to meet customer needs.”
12

DOES YOUR COMPANY CURRENTLY POSSESS CHAIN OF CUSTODY CERTIFICATION
FROM ANY OF THE FOLLOWING? CHECK ALL THAT APPLY.
11
5
0 2
1
0
Based on 12 responses.
The one printer that does not possess any third party chain of custody certification indicated that they do not plan
to obtain any type of certification in the future and discontinued certification due to lack of customer demand.
WHAT TYPES OF INK DOES YOUR COMPANY USE?
Ecopride various, EPTS various, Arroweb heatset, EP Dense Book Black
Heat set black ink, CMYK sheetfed ink, CMYK UV inks
Soy inks
Black carbon ink and sheet fed process and PMS color ink. Match color ink for four color process.
Heatset web offset inks (soy based) and UV 4/c process inks
Soy inks and solvent based inks
Heat offset ink
Soy based UV inks
Process ink for sheet-fed presses, UV and heat-set black ink for web presses
Standard offset press inks, Inkjet inks
DO ANY INKS USED BY YOUR COMPANY IN 2014 CONTAIN VOCS (VOLATILE ORGANIC
COMPOUNDS)?
Based on 10 responses.
Based on 11 responses.
13

PRINTER ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES AND CARBON FOOTPRINT
67%
33%
50%
25%
25%
42%
58%
*Based on 12 responses.
**Based on 4 responses.
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING GOALS OR REQUIREMENTS ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR COMPANY’S POLI-
CY TO HELP REDUCE THE SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF FIBER/PAPER USED IN BOOKS?
3
2 2 2
1 1 1
0 0 0
Based on 8 responses.
14

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING BEST DESCRIBES YOUR COMPANY’S PROGRESS TOWARDS
ACHIEVING THE RECYCLED FIBER GOAL IN ITS POLICY?
Based on 8 responses.
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING COUNT TOWARDS CERTIFIED PAPER TARGETS SPECIFIED IN
YOUR COMPANY’S POLICY? CHECK ALL THAT APPLY.
4
2 2
0 0 0 0
Based on 8 responses.
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING BEST DESCRIBES YOUR COMPANY’S PROGRESS TOWARDS
ACHIEVING THE CERTIFIED PAPER GOAL IN ITS POLICY?
Based on 8 responses.
15

GOALS INCLUDED IN POLICY FOR REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 2020 OR SOONER
4
2 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Based on 8 responses.
DOES YOUR COMPANY CONSIDER MILL LOCATION WHEN MAKING PAPER CHOICES?
Based on 12 responses.
HOW DOES THE MAJORITY OF YOUR PAPER SHIP TO YOUR PRINTING LOCATION(S)?
Based on 12 responses.
16

PAPER MANUFACTURER RESPONSES
In total 9 manufacturers of book paper participated in the survey with the largest number reporting book
paper revenues of $100 to $250 Million. One participant had book paper revenues in excess of $500 million
while the remainder had book paper revenues of $50 million or less as indicated in the chart below.
WHAT WAS YOUR COMPANY’S ANNUAL REVENUE FROM BOOK PAPERS IN 2014?
3
NUMBER OF RESPONSES
1 1
0
2 2
ANNUAL BOOK PAPER REVENUES
Based on 9 responses.
As with previous years paper manufacturers were asked for specific numbers regarding the tonnage of
book paper produced, the percentage of recycled fiber used in those papers, and the amount of paper that
is certified to different third party standards. Because paper manufacturers do not usually know what the
end use will ultimately be for the paper they produce, as in previous years, the surveys for paper manufacturers
requested that they report on “grades suitable to be used in consumer book manufacturing.” In total
participating manufacturers accounted for 710,570 of “book paper” as defined previously 1* . This represents
approximately 79% of the 900,000 tons of book paper used by the U.S. book industry in 2014 according to
RISI estimates.
Virgin tree fiber accounted for 88% of fiber reported by paper manufacturers with total recycled content
(preconsumer plus postconsumer) accounting for the remaining 12%. None of the participating manufacturers
reported using agricultural or alternative fiber to manufacture book papers in 2014.
In total, 48% of the book paper reported by participating manufacturers was third party certified with
28% certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The weighted average for various types of third party certification
are detailed in the table on the next page.
1 *
Tonnage from one participating paper manufacturer was excluded because the data appeared anomalous and efforts to get additional clarifying information from the
manufacturer were unsuccessful.

FIBER SOURCE AND THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATION
Based on 8 responses.
As indicated in the Charts below both the percentage of recycled fiber used in book papers and the percentage
of papers that are FSC certified are dramatically lower in 2014 than they were in recent years.
TRENDS IN RECYCLED FIBER IN BOOK PAPER
PERCENTAGE OF RECYCLED FIBER
YEAR
TRENDS IN FSC CERTIFIED PAPER
PERCENTAGE OF FSC CERTIFIED PAPER
YEAR 18

Nearly all fiber used by participating manufacturers was sourced from North America, though a small
amount (about 5%) was sourced from South America.
GEOGRAPHIC SOURCE OF FIBER
Based on 8 responses.
All of the participating manufacturers had FSC chain of custody certification and most also had chain of
custody certification from SFI and PEFC.
DOES YOUR COMPANY POSSESS CHAIN OF CUSTODY CERTIFICATION FROM ANY OF THE
FOLLOWING? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.
9
8
7
1
1
0
CERTIFICATION TYPE
Based on 9 responses.
The charts and tables below summarize additional responses of paper manufacturers regarding environmental
initiatives, policies and goals.
HAS YOUR COMPANY CALCULATED ITS CARBON FOOTPRINT?
Based on 9 responses.
19

DOES YOUR COMPANY HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY OR HAS YOUR COMPANY
OTHERWISE COMMITTED TO ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS?
Based on 9 responses.
PLEASE SELECT THE OPTION THAT BEST DESCRIBES THE RECYCLED FIBER GOALS OF YOUR COMPANY’S
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY:
5
2
0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
Based on 8 responses.
20

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING GOALS OR REQUIREMENTS ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR COMPANY’S
POLICY TO HELP REDUCE SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF BOOK PAPERS PRODUCED?
6 6
5 5
3
2 2 2
1
0
Based on 9 responses.
PLEASE SELECT THE OPTION THAT BEST DESCRIBES THE CERTIFIED FIBER GOALS IN YOUR COMPANY’S
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY:
3
1
1 1 1 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Based on 9 responses.
21

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING CERTIFICATION STANDARDS COUNT TOWARDS THE CERTIFI-
ATION TARGET IN THE PREVIOUS QUESTION?
7
4 4
3 3
1
Based on 8 responses.
GOALS INCLUDED IN POLICY FOR REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 2020 OR SOONER
3
2
1
1 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
22

CONCLUSION
AND COMMENTARY
The data from the most recent surveys (particularly the paper manufacturer surveys) evidence large decreases
in both the use of recycled fiber and the amount of FSC and other third party certified papers compared
to 2012. This negative trend directly contradicts the expectations of publishers and printers, most
of whom expect to use the same amount or more recycled and certified fiber/paper in the future. We thus
want to explore it more.
RECYCLED FIBER DECLINE
While the percentage of recycled fiber in book papers reported by manufacturers appeared to level off and
even decline slightly in previous surveys of paper manufacturers, the recent decline is considerably sharper
than that indicated in the previous surveys. Additionally, the steep decline in recycled fiber reported by
paper manufacturers appears inconsistent with the expectations of most publishers, the majority of whom
expect to continue using the same amount of recycled fiber. The steepening of this trend and this inconsistency
may in part be due to the interpretation of the manufacturer survey’s request to report “on paper
that is suitable for use in manufacturing books.” The wording of this question makes it likely that paper
manufacturers included large quantities of paper that COULD have been used to make books but that were
ultimately used for other purposes. [It’s important to note that while paper manufacturers were asked to
report on “paper suitable to be used in books,” the publishers and printers who responded were reporting
on paper that actually was used to manufacture books].
The AF&PA reports that paper used for book publishing accounts for only about 4.3% of all printing and
writing paper grades. Though a much larger portion of printing and writing paper is suitable for use in
books.
2014
BOOK PUBLISHING PAPERS
As a percentage of total printing & writing shipments in the U.S.
Tons Printing and
Writing Paper *
Tons Book Paper
Book Paper % of
Total†
Uncoated Free Sheet 8,002,200 185,500 2.30%
Uncoated Groundwood 1,616,700 179,300 11.10%
Coated Freesheet 3,711,000 228,700 6.10%
Coated Groundwood 2,849,300 101,900 3.50%
All Printing and Writing
Paper
16,179,200 695,400 4.30%
* These numbers are 2014 U.S. shipments (short tons) - does not include shipments from Canada
†As a percentage of total paper shipments in the US
Source: AF&PA
23

This nuance may have caused the decline in the use of recycled paper in books to appear greater than the
reality. However, there are also several real challenges facing book publishers and printers who wish to
increase or even maintain current levels of recycled fiber.
And while this survey did not ask about the reasons for recycled fiber declines at the paper manufacturer
level, the BIEC has explored and discussed this topic internally with several authorities over time. Causes
point to (1) increased contamination from single stream recovery and mixed waste processing centers; (2)
reduced availability of fiber due to shrinking paper consumption and competition for recycled fiber with
overseas markets (particularly China); (3) capacity closures of deinking facilities; and (4) production shuts
of paper mills or machines that produced high recycled content grades (i.e. FutureMark Paper [September
2014] and Manistique [March 2015]).
1. Single Stream Recycling has become a serious problem for paper manufacturers who produce fine
printing paper for many reasons:
a. The fiber required for making fine printing paper needs to be especially clean, and single-stream
fiber is obviously highly contaminated. This contamination reduces yields for the
de-inking facilities – effectively raising costs.
b. Sorting high quality fiber from the single stream is expensive and less effective such that it
produces less “good” fiber than pre-sorted streams.
c. Paper fiber is inherently not as valuable as say metal in the recycling stream (or as easily
sortable) - which doesn’t help in the recovery effort.
d. Naturally absorbent paper fiber tends to take on
moisture weight in the single stream which again
reduces yield and increases freight in transporting
the sorted fiber.
2. Availability of recyclable fiber for use in the production
of recycled fine printing paper grades has been reduced
partially because paper consumption in N.A. is so far off
of historical highs, and because the fiber that is available
is in high demand by overseas markets who are
fiber poor. Even though the most recent AF&PA statistics
report fiber recovery at almost 67%, the amount of
paper being used and consumed continues to decline. As
consumption falls, so does the availability of high quality
recyclable fiber for these grades. And the fiber that is
recovered (often contaminated) is in high demand from
overseas markets (particularly China) who don’t have
enough virgin fiber to feed their demand.
3. The net effect of the above dynamic has been the closure
of de-inking facilities and recycled paper machines /
mills. Some of the remaining recycled paper producers
have reduced the amount of recycled fiber in their grade
offerings. Only a few specialty mills are able effectively to
make high-quality recycled grades with a lot of recycled
content, but those grades are often considered “specialty”
and may be priced as such relative to their virgin fiber
alternatives.
THERE ARE
SEVERAL REAL
CHALLENGES
FACING BOOK
PUBLISHERS
AND PRINTERS
WHO WISH TO
INCREASE OR
EVEN MAINTAIN
CURRENT LEVELS
OF RECYCLED
FIBER.
24

CERTIFIED FIBER DECLINE
Perhaps more surprising to us was the dramatic decrease in the percentages of papers suitable for book
printing that were FSC certified or certified by other certification bodies. This is particularly so because
previous surveys have only showed an accelerating trend towards greater percentages of FSC and other
certified paper. Further, the other two sectors of the book industry who were surveyed, the publishers who
ultimately control their paper’s end use, and printers who have to make the paper substrates work through
their presses, both noted that they expect to use the same or more certified fiber going forward.
As with the recycled discussion above, it’s possible that part of this decline can be attributed to the wording
of the questions. But industry insiders point to a nuance in certification labeling as another possible
reason for this decline. That is, while many paper mills produce their paper with a majority of certified fiber
(FSC, SFI, or other), for many of those products, that fiber can only be reported as “certified” if it was specifically
ordered as FSC, SFI or otherwise such that it can be tracked in a Chain of Custody (CoC) audit. It’s
therefore possible and likely that much more certified fiber was used than was reported as certified.
All told, while many publishers, printers and paper manufacturers have strong environmental policies and
indicate they are on track to meet or exceed these goals, the reported trends here suggest a move towards
less recycled fiber and perhaps less certified paper. These changes and trends will remain a follow up focus
for the BIEC until our next survey.
www.bookcouncil.org
THE BOOK INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL (BIEC) is a nonprofit program that strives to benchmark, track
and improve the book market’s environmental footprint with science-based research and collaboration from
a balanced and fully represented supply chain including: publishers, book manufacturers, paper manufacturers
and suppliers, and environmental NGOs. The Council’s members work collaboratively to identify, foster,
and communicate best practices to reduce the book industry’s impact and increase the sustainability of books
(printed and/or electronic). It is chaired by Bill Rojack of Midland Paper Company and Lisa Serra of Scholastic
Inc. For more information, please refer to the BIEC website at www.bookcouncil.org.