"It makes a tremendous difference to the amount of FSC certified paper we are buying, and its great to get the biggest magazine in our stable printed on it," said David Halford,  deputy production director and head of procurement at BBC Magazines.

FSC-UK director Anna Jenkins said the move of Radio Times to FSC paper was a clear indication of BBC Magazines long-term commitment to certification.

Radio Times has a weekly circulation of 1.1m, and the 20,000 tonnes of paper used every year for its production comes from two sources: Swedish manufacturer SCA, and the Caledonian Paper mill in Scotland, owned by Finland's UPM.

The Caledonian Paper mill attained dual environmental Chain of Custody standards in February this year (PrintWeek, 4 March).

The mill is now certified to both Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC), and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody standards. Halford said Caledonian's dual certification had helped BBC Magazines to achieve the move to FSC production for Radio Times.

BBC Magazines has been moving its magazine production onto FSC certified paper since 2000, when BBC Wildlife became the first consumer magazine in the world to carry the FSC stamp.

BBC Music Magazine has been printed on FSC paper since 2001 with Songs of Praise and teen title It's HOT! using it since late last year.

Story by Andy Scott