Planet Green launches June 04, 2008

Green Your Media: Tell Your Favorite Magazines to Go Recycled

Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA

No Image

By Jasmin Malik Chua
Jersey City, NJ, USA | Sun Mar 23 17:21:00 EDT 2008

magazine.jpg


Unknown.

READ MORE ABOUT:
Books | Furniture | Green Investing | Money | Paper | Trees

Of all the wood harvested globally for so-called "industrial uses"-that is, everything but fuelwood-42 percent gets siphoned off for paper production, a proportion that the World Watch Institute expects to shoot up more than 50 percent in the next 50 years. But it gets worse: Around 71 percent of the world's paper supply isn't produced from timber harvested at tree farms, but from forested-harvested timber, from regions with ecologically valuable, biologically diverse habitats, according to a 2004 study (PDF) by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Yet less than 5 percent of all magazine paper contains any recycled content at all. To find out if your magazine made the cut, visit Co-op America's Woodwise site for a list of rags that have committed to using post-consumer recycled paper or responsibly sourced virgin fibers. Don't see your favorite mag? Click below the fold for a sample letter, courtesy of Woodwise, that you can pop in the mail to the various publishers. You can find the publisher's name and the magazine's address in the masthead, which usually comes after the table of contents.

See also: ::Green Your Media: Download Your Books and Magazines

Difficulty level: Easy Dear Publisher,

I am writing to inquire whether ____ magazine is printed on recycled paper. I enjoy reading your magazine and would like learn more about its environmental impact.

Out of approximately 18,000 magazine titles, 100 of those are currently using recycled paper, and this number is steadily growing. Magazines that have recently made the switch include Bust, Pink, ReadyMade, with many others exploring their environmental options. It is heartening these magazines recognize the pressures they are placing on our forests and have taken steps to reduce their footprints.

As a consumer who wants to shop responsibly, I prefer to invest my money in magazines that work to minimize their environmental impact. I hope that your magazine is a product I can count on to help preserve our rapidly shrinking forests.

Please visit www.magazinepaper.org to read about how you can start making the switch to recycled paper and sustainable production processes. The Magazine PAPER Project at Co-op America provides free technical assistance for magazines researching environmentally responsible paper and production options.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

 
  • email
  • digg
  • share
  • print
helpful article? vote for it
{ }
close window

CLOSE X

 

comments on this article

view all post a comment

 
 
 
 

today on planet green

view all

Votes

recent
discussed

Greensburg: Episode 5
POSTED  3 HOURS AGO.  COMMENTS

{ }

Oil Crisis Update: Why Drill Now?
POSTED  19 Jul 2008.  COMMENTS

{ }

Asparagus Spinach Dip
POSTED  19 Jul 2008.  COMMENTS

{ }

How to Go Green: Water
POSTED  18 Jul 2008.  COMMENTS

{ }

Offshore Drilling: More-oil or Mor-onic
POSTED  18 Jul 2008.  COMMENTS

{ }

Renovation Nation: Episode 7
POSTED  23 Jun 2008. 12 COMMENTS.

{12}

Oil Crisis Update: Why Drill Now?
POSTED  19 Jul 2008. 8 COMMENTS.

{1}

Stephen Says: Welcome!
POSTED  7 Jul 2008. 8 COMMENTS.

{26}

About the Show: Emeril Green
POSTED  25 Jun 2008. 10 COMMENTS.

{13}

Boise Says
POSTED  2 Jul 2008. 14 COMMENTS.

{10}

 
 

Green Guides image

How to Go Green: Barbeques

Green tips for grilling and other barbeque-related fun.

How to Go Green: Laundry

Tips for greening your dirty laundry.

How to Go Green: Summer

Eco-friendly tips for the beach, your barbeque, and even bikinis.

 

Buying Guides banner image

Buy Green: Desktop Computers

Find energy-efficient machines to serve your needs.

Buy Green: Women's Jeans

The hippest fashions in organic cotton denim.

Buy Green: Small-Wheel Folding Bikes

The best compact bikes for getting around town.