Random Goes Green
by Rachel Deahl, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 5/17/2006
Making one of the most dramatic environmentally-conscious production moves of any major publisher to date, Random House is significantly increasing its reliance on recycled paper. Calling the program "the most substantial environmental initiative in the company's history," the house plans to incrementally raise the amount of recycled paper it uses over a four-year period, with a goal of upping its current 3% to 30% by 2010.
Because its reduction in new paper use would equate to the saving of more than 550,000 trees annually (once it gets to the 30% level in 2010), Random House officials said the program is something that the company was eager to undertake. RH’s Stuart Applebaum, who noted that the initiative marks a "multimillion dollar investment," said the idea for a more environmentally-sound way to produce books has been incubating at the company for nearly nine months. And, although director of publishing operations projects, David F. Drake (who spearheaded the program), would not provide a figure on how much the house is spending to go green, he said the feasibility of the initiative lies in the house's slow, but steady, increased use of recycled paper. Drake added that RH, which developed the program in-house, relied on information and support from its paper mill providers, the AAP (which runs an industry group about paper use) and the Green Press Initiative.
Tyson Miller, program director at Green Press Initiative, said that while 105 U.S. publishers have adopted various policies regarding recycled paper use over the past four years, what Random House has announced is "the real deal." It's also something he hopes will spark other major houses to establish similar programs. "Many of the other multinationals have stated that they won't be first, but would most likely follow the lead," he said. "So we'll have to see what the ripple effect of this policy will look like.".
When asked how houses could afford to use more recycled paper, Miller said pricing for it might go down if demand increases significantly. Of course this hasn't happened yet so, for many publishers, getting deeper into a reliance on recycled paper means higher production costs. While Drake confirmed that Random House will not push the increased cost of its recycled paper program back to the consumer, Miller said that even if publishers raised book costs to go green, consumers likely wouldn't mind. Citing a national survey in which 80% of 1,000 readers questioned said they would pay more for books printed on recycled paper, Miller explained that people want environmentally sound publishing more than cheaper books. He then added: "Publishers can do the right thing…without it affecting their profits."
