Newspaper Publishers

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International publishers respond to the growing sustainability imperative of readers and advertisers

Even with declines in newsprint in North America and Europe industry projections still see newspapers in print for at least 10-15 years. In Asia and other regions new newspapers and readership are expanding. There is no doubt that over the coming decade newspapers will take a heavy toll on carbon- and species-rich forests during that time. However, this can be translated into an opportunity, as newsprint purchasers are some of the most influential paper buyers in the world. This purchasing power, coupled with a strong environmental policy, can generate the impetus for paper suppliers to improve the sustainability of their forestry practices as well as the papers they produce.

Worldwide, the global capacity for newsprint production is approximately 31.6 million tonnes, and 2.5 billion people read a newspaper in print regularly. In 2012, the United States and Canada produced almost 7 million tonnes of newsprint, of which more than half is produced in Canada. This represents a tremendous impact on our global forests.  This means that approximately 331 million trees are used annually for newsprint globally, assuming an average of 30% recycled content.

Of newsprint produced in North America, the vast majority of fiber originates from Canada’s ancient and endangered Boreal and Coastal Temperate Rainforests. Currently there are no industry-wide targets or standards for recycled content in North America while in some regions of the world, such as the UK, industry targets have resulted in an average of more than 80% recycled content and the Chinese market depends primarily on recycled newsprint.

Audiences seeking to be informed about environmental solutions are also consumers demanding greener products. Looking ahead, the future of newspapers needs to be an integrated platform of online and print with the latter being leaner and greener. As the demand for printed news continues, newspapers can ensure that readers are ok with a printed product by making a commitment to stewarding our forests. It's with this vision that Canopy continues to support the development of environmental procurement policies.

[Download] A Brighter Shade of Green: Opportunities for Newspapers in the New Era of Consumer Environmentalism. 

A Selection from Canopy’s Column in Editor & Publisher

Written By: Tara Sawatsky and Nicole Rycroft

Newspaper Trailblazers See the Forest for the Trees

Editor & Publisher - Tara Sawatsky and Nicole Rycroft
Learn about Above the Fold: Newspaper Environmental Leadership Report - and the newspapers profiled.

Through Green-colored glasses: An Environmental Vision for the Newspaper Industry 

Editor & Publisher - Tara Sawatsky and Nicole Rycroft
Learn about the Newspaper Industry Environmental Vision. 

A Certified Newspaper with your Certified Coffee?

Editor & Publisher - Tara Sawatsky and Nicole Rycroft
FSC certification delivers environmental credibility to publishers. Read more to find out why.

Two Birds with One Seed - How newspapers can sustain business and our planet

Editor & Publisher - Nicole Rycroft and Tara Sawatsky            
At Canopy, we often find ourselves using the saying "feeding two birds with one seed." It's more inspiring (and has fewer casualties) than its more common cousin, "killing two birds with one stone." And either way, going green saves you both money and improves your image.

For Newspapers, Paper Is as Important as the News Itself 

Editor & Publisher – Nicole Rycroft and Tara Sawatsky          
Newspapers have enormous purchasing power that can generate the impetus for paper suppliers to improve the sustainability of their forestry practices as well as the papers they produce.

Please contact tara@canopyplanet.org for more details.