Did you notice something different on the back pages of The Order of the Phoenix? If you live in the Canadian market, you might. The fifth book in the Harry Potter series has something unusual on its back pages. It’s an environmental audit.
The audit, produced using New Leaf Paper’s Eco Audit Calculator, uses New Leaf EcoBook paper, which uses 100% postconsumer waste. This is something new in the book market, which is normally so sensitive to price.
While the paper does cost more than virgin, these costs are offset by the extreme environmental benefits of switching to paper made with 100% postconsumer fiber. Because virgin paper costs less than recycled papers, the book industry has traditionally gone almost exclusively with virgin stocks. But Scholastic decided to make an environmental statement — a big one.
According to the audit, on the 950,000 print run, this simple switch resulted in a savings of 29,600 trees, 12.4 million gallons of water, 20,300 BTUs of energy, 1.4 million pounds of solid waste, and 2.7 million pounds of greenhouse gases. That’s more than just a drop in the bucket.
By Raz Godelnik •
July 23, 2009
This post was originally published on Eco-Libris blog on July 20.
As part of our efforts to promote green printing, we continue to closely follow the printing industry, keep you posted with printers who have already adopted eco-friendly practices in their business and speak with them on the state of green printing, the trends, the challenges in the present and their plans for the future.
We posted already two interviews with green printers (Greg Barber and Deb Bruner) and today we are happy to have another green printer on our blog: Livio Ciciotti of Monroe Litho (Rochester, NY).
Livio Ciciotti is an Account Executive with Monroe Litho based in Rochester, NY. He is a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of Print Media. He has been invloved in printing since high school. Livio is also in the Marine Corps Reserve, an honor graduate from the School of Infantry he now serves with 3rd Battalion 25th Marines out of Buffalo, NY and is preparing for a deployment to Afghanistan.
By Raz Godelnik •
March 6, 2009
This post was originally published on Eco-Libris’ blog on February 26.
How green is your toilet paper? Not sure? Here’s the guide that will give you the answers: Greenpeace has just released on Monday its latest Recycled Tissue and Toilet Paper Guide.
The report is providing customers with important information about tissue products and toilet paper using 3 criteria: usage of 100% recycled paper, at least 50% post consumer recycled paper and bleached without toxic chlorine compounds.
Each category includes ranking of brands, where products that meet 3 criteria are recommended, products that meet 2 criteria are defined as “can do better” and products that meet only one or no criteria at all are “to be avoided”.
Let’s focus for a minute on toilet paper, the most popular product among the ones reviewed in this report. The brand in the first place is Green Forest, which uses 100 percent recycled and 90 percent post-consumer content, as well as chlorine-free manufacturing processes. Other brands that are also recommended are: 365, Natural Value and Seventh Generation.
And who’s to be avoided? Well, when it comes to toilet paper you will find there few familiar names: Scott, Target, Wal-Mart, Kleenex Cottonelle, Chramin, Quilted Northern and Angel Soft. According to the report they all use zero recycled paper (and of course zero post consumer content) and are bleached with chlorine compounds [just take into consideration the follwoing comment from Greenpeace: In the few cases where companies did not respond to our request for verification of recycled content percentages and whitening processes used, we assumed 0% overall recycled, 0% post-consumer recycled and ECF bleaching.]
By Jackie Hernandez •
February 20, 2009
Die Cuts With A View (DCWV) has just released the Green Stack collection made from 70% post-consumer recycled paper that is also acid-free and lignin-free. The debut Green Stack paper pad features 24 woodland designs complete with squirrels, owls, and a little faux bois. The collection also includes a matching Green Stack Chipboard Set with 105 shapes and letters made from 70% post-consumer recycled paper.
The DCWV website has a great idea gallery with sample pages from each collection, like the Guess Who sample page shown here which features the Green Stack collection. Check out the other awesome Green Stack sample pages after the jump.
By Jackie Hernandez •
February 4, 2009
It is certainly a challenge crafting a green scrapbook, but K & Company has kept sustainability in mind by introducing two eco-friendly scrapbook collections. Each collection is printed with soy-based inks, on recycled paper, with recycled and reusable packaging. The Lotus Collection features the hypnotic floral designs of Amy Butler, while the ReMake Collection meets basic needs for colored paper and chipboard embellishments.
If you love Amy Butler’s fabric designs you will swoon over her paper line. The Lotus Collection, by the famed fabric and surface designer, is printed with soy-based inks on post-consumer waste recycled paper. Lotus products come in recycled pakaging made from 95% post-consumer waste. What’s more is the packaging is reusable. The back card stock of the paper pads is printed with cut-outs that can be used as embellishments.
By Jamie Ervin •
January 27, 2009
Most expectant parents plan to send out some type of birth announcement to introduce their new one to the world. And who can blame them? Babies are precious and a joy to be shared!
Being mindful parents, we want to make sure that everything we do (including those birth announcements) are kinder to our great planet. The announcement which resides in your childs memory book will also serve as a reminder to them over the years about your commitment to raise them green.
The best way is to avoid phyiscal announcements altogether and set up a Baby Blog. Blogs are FREE and online, so no products are used to create them. You can change the look and update daily with new baby happenings and photos. Another bonus to an online blog is the ability to share details of the pregnancy and instant news of baby’s arrival. Spread the word about your baby blog via email.
By Raz Godelnik •
January 18, 2009
“My name is Greg Barber and I specialize in environmental printing. ” This is the first line on the homepage of Greg Barber Company, an eco-friendly printer and also the printer that prints Eco-Libris’ stickers and flyers.
By Olga Orda •
December 4, 2008
A post by contributing writer Melissa Chungfat.
The eco-holiday tips are beginning to pour in everywhere. Al Gore was on Oprah last week discussing the impacts of global warming and giving advice on how people can help the environment and save some cash this holiday. And, Obama is certainly doing his part with his plans to green the White House.
If you are an early bird ecopreneurist who wants to distinguish your business this holiday season or are at odds on what to give your customers, staff or business partners, one thing you can do is get a CarbonFree® Product Certification from the non-profit, Carbonfund.org. With CF, with the click of a mouse, you can give the gift of carbon neutrality.
By Olga Orda •
November 27, 2008
A post by contributing guest writer Melissa Chungfat.
I’ve been seeing a lot of Thomas Friedman on the tube talking about his book Hot, Flat, and Crowded. The three-time Pulitzer Prize winner is getting a lot of buzz stressing the necessity of a green global industry. Ecopreneurs are key in developing innovative solutions to deal with the tremendous global environmental problems.
The book title refers to the convergence of global warming, the rise of the middle class, and the exponential population growth. These factors drive the following five trends over their tipping point:
- Energy and resource
- Petro dictatorship
- Biodiversity loss
- Climate change
- Energy poverty
In our culture of convenience, so many people want to help the environment – if they can keep all of their luxuries; they want to green their habits – if it’s convenient enough; they want to buy green products – if it’s easy enough to find. But this attitude won’t fly anymore with the problems we are facing.
By Autumn Wiggins •
September 17, 2008
I love those NetFlix commercials where all the different movie characters deliver themselves around the neighborhood. Maybe the fantistic voyage the actual envelopes take is less evocative than portrayed, but you have to give them props for the clever design that allows the movie to be returned in the same packaging. All you are left with is a puny flap of paper, and I’m happy to report that you can now [...]
By Adam Williams •
September 5, 2008
In keeping with what seems to be a personal theme this week about paper recycling, I was motivated by a recent commenter to learn more about magazines and their recyclability.
Nils Davis, said motivating commenter and blogger at Keeping the Lights On, posed this great question:
Can magazines be turned into magazines again, or do they always require ‘virgin’ paper?
Well, I don’t yet have the specifics to answer the first part of that question. But it seems the answer to the second part is a resounding “No.”
Did you notice something different on the back pages of The Order of the Phoenix? If you live in the Canadian market, you might. The fifth book in the Harry Potter series has something unusual on its back pages. It’s an environmental audit.
According to the audit, on the 950,000 print run, this simple switch resulted in a savings of 29,600 trees, 12.4 million gallons of water, 20,300 BTUs of energy, 1.4 million pounds of solid waste, and 2.7 million pounds of greenhouse gases. That’s more than just a drop in the bucket.
