Conscious Choice Seattle: Harvesting the Urban Forest

April 2007 | From the Editor

Harvesting the Urban Forest

By Ritzy Ryciak

Not long ago, I wrote an article for CC on the fast-evolving green publishing movement. Book number six of the Harry Potter series, which sold 6.9 million copies in the U.S. alone, inspired the story. While other countries like Canada printed the book on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper, the U.S. publisher opted for paper derived from virgin trees. The enormity of the Harry Potter book run on virgin paper prompted a closer look at America’s publishing practices.

“The American book publishing industry uses upwards of 20 million trees each year”

“The American Forest & Paper Association estimates that nearly 95 percent of the paper and fiber for book production comes from newly cut trees.”

Last month, Elizabeth Erickson of Seattle inquired about our printing and paper policies in a letter to the editor. Her questions compelled me to share CC’s paper and printing practices.
All Conscious Enlightenment publications—Conscious Choice (Seattle and Chicago), Whole Life Times (LA) and Common Ground (San Francisco)—are printed with soy-based, water soluble ink on paper from New Leaf Paper, a company committed to making paper with the highest percentages possible of recycled and sustainably harvested fibers, processed without the use of chlorine or chlorine derivatives.

Our covers are printed on New Leaf’s Legacy paper: 30% post-consumer waste, elemental chlorine free—a cleaner process than chlorine gas bleaching—and the virgin content is FSC certified. Interior pages use Connection paper: 85–100% de-inked recycled, 20–30% post-consumer waste, and elemental chlorine free.

According to Justin Tiret, a representative for New Leaf, the de-inking aspect of recycled paper is something that needs to be emphasized. “When paper has been de-inked, you are utilizing something that has already been printed on and using that as your fiber source,” said Tiret, who pointed out that 60% of printed magazines are not sold. “People need to know that whether it is post-industrial paper or post-consumer you are still diverting it from the landfill. It is really an issue of semantics.”

Last fall, our Conscious Enlightenment publications switched from a 100% post-consumer paper we sourced from Germany. Because of shorter recycled fibers, the paper was a challenge to print on—we ended up wasting a lot of paper during print time— and required higher transportation costs.

Perhaps the most interesting thing I realized while researching the choices we as a company make is that “being green” is not a “black and white” issue. Everything is trade-offs. For us, using 100% post-consumer paper, meant more waste at press time and added transportation costs.

Now, we get our paper from Myllykoski Mill, a mill located in a suburb of Chicago. The unsold magazines and newspapers are gathered in Chicago (20 miles from the mill), de-inked on-site (which is rare) and turned into paper. The sludge fron the de-inking process is also used to make an asphalt-like substance for road repair in Chicago.

If “local really is the new organic,” then we are on the right track.

“They are harvesting the urban forest,” explained Tiret, referring to how Myllykoski collects its fiber source from the city of Chicago. “The process is very localized now, which cuts down on transportation waste.”

Following the localized theme, that de-inked paper is then driven three hours away to Royal Printer, a printer in Wisconsin committed to waste reduction, energy efficiency and green practices.

Elizabeth, I hope that this answers your question. Thank you so much for writing in. CC readers, I truly appreciate your letters. Please keep in touch and tell me what’s on your mind.

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