In the US alone, 30 million trees are felled each year for books and the use of virgin paper accounts for nearly two thirds of the book industry’s total carbon emissions.[10]
In 2009, the US book industry committed to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) by 20 per cent by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050. Using recycled paper requires 20 to 30 per cent less energy and water, and causes less air and water pollution. By 2010, the use of recycled paper increased from 5 per cent in 2004 to 24 per cent, and the use of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) paper increased from 5 per cent in 2002 to 16 per cent.[11]
Whilst encouraging, much progress is required before the publishing industry can rest on their carbon reduced laurels, especially as this is self-regulating and by no means industry wide. Only half of all publishers have an environmental policy and in 2010, the Rainforest Action Network reported a majority of books they tested contained paper linked to rainforest destruction in Indonesia.[12]