Support from Alice Munro

Canopy has been helping large publishers and printers to appreciate their impact on forest ecosystems, and developing and promoting alternatives, since 2000. That’s when we began our work with the Canadian book publishing industry

Back then no books were printed consistently on environmental papers. And in a classic chicken-and-egg situation, no mainstream paper mills were producing environmental options because there was no market demand.

But all of that was about to change.

We began by working to secure commitments from book publishers to source environmental papers from their suppliers.

At the same time we reached out to literary icon, Alice Munro, to explain the benefits of prioritizing the environment in the paper choices for her upcoming book.

What happened next changed the way the book publishing industry thought about paper and protecting forests forever. 

At Canopy’s urging, Alice Munro stopped the presses on her book to ensure it was printed on environmental paper.

As a result, Alice Munro's Hateship, Friendship, Loveship, Marriage, was the first major title printed on eco-paper, completely free of endangered forests.

»Next: Greening Harry Potter