18/02/2025
In 2024 the APA released the results of our inaugural Sustainability Survey, alongside five recommendations for publishers to take action immediately. One of these recommendations was to:
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Commit to 100% FSC or recycled stock for paper and cardboard in book printing
Simon & Schuster Australia is leading the way in this area. As production controller Kiara Codemo shares below, the company is ‘committed to printing our books on paper stock from well-managed sources and will only work with printers who are internationally certified by the FSC chain of custody’. They’re also tackling paper waste through format and stock choices, digital proofs, changes to backlist reprints, and data-driven print planning.
Tackling the environmental impact of paper
As part of a global S&S initiative to reduce our environmental impact and achieve net zero, this year we have begun the process of auditing our carbon footprint across all aspects of the company, with a focus on key areas of our supply chain such as warehousing, shipping, and print production.
The physical printed book is at the core of our business, so planning ahead, it is important for us to build a sustainability program that tackles the environmental impact of paper. We are already committed to printing our books on paper stock from well-managed sources, and will only work with printers who are internationally certified by the FSC chain of custody. The
Book Chain Project has also been an invaluable resource for gathering environmental data on paper mills and stocks, and will be a main point of reference for guiding our decisions during the book design and production stages.
We avoid a lot of paper waste by printing the majority of our mono titles at a standard format, and are increasingly turning to lower grammage text stocks especially for titles with longer page extents. Proofs are mostly reviewed digitally, through the InSite approval system, reducing the need for printed proofs and couriers.
A huge focus for us over the past year has been on reducing overprinting so we can cut down on overstocks. We have a more strategic, data-driven approach to print planning and will review and reduce unnecessary specs on backlist reprints when possible. For any overstocks we do need to clear we look to donate or discount, when possible, otherwise will pulp using a service that prioritises recycling.
While we continue to print the majority of our books in Australia to reduce freight, colour books are a challenge for us to print locally with the increase in paper and production costs since Covid. However, printing these books in China has also made it more affordable to explore a wider range of sustainable cover embellishments.
There is further progress to be made in reducing our carbon emissions but are confident we are moving in the right direction.
Develop your organisation’s sustainability practices
If you’d like to make your production processes more sustainable like Simon & Schuster Australia, the APA’s Greener Publishing Guide has a section on greener products.
You can also learn more about our sustainability survey and recommendations for publishers.