Simon & Schuster Purchases Paper With More Recycled Fiber

For books printed and bound in the U.S., Simon & Schuster plans to increase the level of recycled fiber in its purchased paper to 25 percent or more by 2012, a 150 percent increase from a current 10 percent baseline level.

Simon & Schuster purchases approximately 70,000 tons of paper annually. At current production levels, the shift to 25 percent recycled fiber will result in saving approximately 483,000 trees annually and reducing greenhouse gases by nearly 85 million pounds, the company reports.

Simon & Schuster says it “will endeavor” to eliminate the use of paper that may contain fiber from endangered and old-growth forest areas. It has set a goal that by 2012 at least 10 percent of its purchased paper will derive from forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

The company says it will also purchase shipping cartons made from 100% recycled post-consumer paper (the company expects that it will purchase 1.2 million cartons in 2007), the recycling of all inventory destruction as mixed-use paper, and the use of recycled office materials.

Simon & Schuster UK is expected to follow suit with a similar environmental policy.

You can see the company’s paper policy here.