The Periodical Publishers Association (PPA), backed by Polestar, has announced plans to launch a guide assessing the environmental impact of print by sending questionnaires to printers. The results will be made available to publishers.


The move follows a seminar hosted by the PPA, where concerns were raised that EU legislation for packaging waste could be applied to paper. Environment: time for magazines to pay up? formed a pre-emptive strike by the industry, which would be given responsibility for recycling paper waste under EU terms.



Issues up for discussion at the PPA seminar included effective papermaking, recycling waste and forest certification, with presentations given by the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI), BBC Worldwide, the Sustainable Office Forum, UPM-Kymmene, Envirowise and Biffa.
Obviously, there is concern about any new legislation, and there is also consumer pressure, said Nick Mazur, deputy chief executive of the PPA.
Were looking to voluntary solutions, rather than enforced ones.


BBC Worldwide group production manager David Halford raised the issue of forestry certification, citing research showing that consumers dont trust the government or industry on environmental issues.
The Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) is the only forestry certification to be endorsed by the WWF and Greenpeace and that is why it is the only credible certification scheme for the industry, he said.


Two BBC Worldwide titles currently carry FSC certification and the group is committed to certifying all 37 of its titles in due course.
Recycled paper is certainly not the only option open to the industry, said Halford.
The recycling problem is compounded by the 33% of all magazines and newspapers that remain unsold and often end up in landfills.


Story by Fay Schopen