National Geographic Commits to Recycled Paper

After a three-year pressure campaign from Green America and the Natural Resources Defense Council, National Geographic has agreed to include 5 percent recycled paper into its formula. The magazine earlier agreed not to use old-growth-forest paper fibers.

Of course, lots of magazines are already using recycled paper, many of them at a far higher percentage than 5 percent. Some, including the adventure travel magazine Mountainfreak and the eco-oriented earth Island Journal, already use 100% recycled paper.

But this is National Geographic! The slick-paper photo-intensive standard-bearer for educational travel.

In other words, out the window goes the argument from any magazine that the quality of their photography makes it impossible to use at least some recycled. If National Geographic can do it, any magazine can do it.

So this could be a game-changer in the industry. And it’s an industry that needs its game changed. Many major magazines still use 100% virgin paper. Of those that do include some recycled paper, most use only 10 to 30 percent.

And on the consumer side, far too much magazine waste goes to the landfill, and far too little to the recycling center.

Like so many industries, change happens when both consumers and producers are aligned in a goal of creating more eco-friendly products using more environmentally appropriate processes and materials. So if you subscribe to some paper magazines, ask your publishers how much recycled paper they use, and if they might use more.