Going Green 🍃
One question a lot of people are asking: how can the book industry, and publishers in particular, go green?
Well, for one, many companies in the book industry, from booksellers to publishers to printers, are signing the Publishing Declares pledge (link: https://publishingdeclares.com/home)
But what actions are being taken?
Well, here are a few steps that we have taken:
1. Efficiency:
a. Reducing energy consumption:
A lot of work in the publishing industry is spent in front of a computer screen (from editing, typesetting, cover design, ebook conversion, and loads of emails, etc.). Updating to the latest computer hardware is not just a question of security protocol, it’s also about reducing energy use. A 10-year-old PC would consume 10 times more than what a modern computer uses (this blog is being written on an M1 Apple Mac using around 60Wh).
And of course, switching to other more efficient appliances (especially warm LED bulbs instead of white ones) is essential.
It’s all about efficiency and reducing waste: achieving the same (or more) output for much less energy. It’s also good forthe electricity bill.
It is also important to note that when it comes to getting rid of old consumer electronics, it is better to send them to a dedicated electronics recycling centre ♻️
b. Reducing a book’s footprint:
It won’t be surprising to hear about a book being printed in China 🇨🇳, shipped all the way to the publisher’s warehouse in the UK 🇬🇧, then shipped by air freight to a bookshop in New Zealand.
Thankfully, there is now a service called ‘Print-on-Demand’ (or POD in the industry lingo). Publishers in the UK and around the world are working with companies offering POD services across the globe. Many publishers are doing this for their older books (backlist).
It is part of the digital transformation of the book industry, where a publisher sends the digital print files to the dedicated network of POD printers.
Another important digital transformation in the book industry is the emergence of eBooks. eBooks, just like email has done for letters and the postal service, have completely cut down the use of paper and wasted printed material* and have made books more accessible to a larger audience (could talk about this more in a later blog post).
Same as the point above: whether using a phone, tablet or dedicated ebook reader, remember to always recycle electronics. ♻️
*A lot of publishers sometimes overprint a title thinking it might sell well. The overstock ends up becoming dead stock. Thankfully, most publishers recycle the paper, but a lot of ink is wasted in the process.
Recommended for readers with many books to check out: https://bookshop.zeercle.com (reselling and recycling books).
2. Eco-conscious suppliers:
A lot of publishers are encouraged to work with suppliers as part of the Publishing Declares initiative, and they do. Be it banking (e.g. https://anna.money/ethics-statement/), logistics, shipping (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afZKxemgYLs) etc.
The most important supplier for the book industry is, of course, the printer.
After 2015, we started working with a wonderful Spanish printer based in Barcelona (located next to a vineyard—this is not a sponsored post by them). The reason we moved to printing with them was the quality of the paper direction in print.
(original post: https://x.com/HesperusPress/status/1102900234852753408/photo/2)
This grain direction is important as it helps to keep open books that have more than 200 pages and reduces stress on the spine of the cover.
Post-Brexit, we came back to a UK-based printer (and a pledgor of the Publishing Declares initiative): Bell & Bain
https://www.bell-bain.com/environment-and-quality/
What is important in picking the next printer are their environmental policy and, for us, where they source their paper. Readers will notice these logos in the first few pages.
This ensures the trees used came from a sustainable source without destroying any natural habitats (read more at the FSC and PEFC websites, where readers can also authenticate the certifications of the printers).
Maybe this provides a brief overview of where the industry is going. Of course, some big publishers and firms have their internal policies and dedicated teams to ensure the company is abiding by the latest green policies and best practices (some are doing CO2 audits, but this can be quite expensive for smaller publishers).
Just wanted to let readers know that small publishers are also doing their best to reduce and avoid waste while publishing as many beautiful books as possible.