TES books editor Geraldine Brennan on the inside literary track
Myth: recycled paper is poorer quality and more expensive than virgin paper, and more damaging to the environment than non-chlorine bleached paper from sustainable forests. More myths and a guide to green publishing can be found at www.twig.uk.com, which contains advice for publishers on finding environmentally friendly paper and printers and is collecting good practice case studies: so far the only one on the site is Egmont, whose moves towards low-impact printing were featured in Friday magazine (November 18, 2005).
Twig is supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, and includes information on energy-saving for small-scale publishing projects (such as the kind that goes on in schools): avoid areas of solid colour (hard to de-ink) and metallic or fluorescent ink (petroleum-based); stitch or staple rather than glue; envelopes with windows can only be recycled commercially if they are cellulose. Or stick a recyclable address label over the window, and have a guilt-free weekend.