Magazines Going Green

As a resident of San Francisco, the first American city to ban plastic bags, and more specifically, The Presidio, a protected national forrest, I've got ecology on the brain these days.

Everyone, from Al Gore to my good friend David Gelber, proud Prius owner, is talking about "going green" and the magazine industry is following suit.

The Magazine Publishers of America is amidst a full fledged Please Recycle Campaign to raise reader awareness that magazines are recyclable.





Along with two public service advertisments, the MPA has created "Please Recycle Logos" for members to display in their publications.

In the MPA's FAQ section regarding the campaign, they say old magazines can be remade into newsprint, tissues, and various paper products, but are generally unusable in the creation of new magazines.


Which magazines out there are using recycled paper in their production?

Co-op America has compiled a list, for a press release last year, of some magazines that are promoting the use of recycled paper in their manufacturing process. Among the titles listed are Bitch, Shape, Mother Jones, Yoga Journal, and The Nation.


All of this made me wonder just how, exactly, does paper get recycled? The answer, in an easy-to-grasp synopsis is here.


So, what can Joe Consumer do in addition to supporting enviro-friendly publivcations? You don't have to pull a Julia Butterfly Hill to make a difference.


Writer Pam Gaulin posted her ideas on magazine recycling at Associated Content:

5 Ways to Recycle Read Magazines:

#1 Way to Recycle Read Magazines: Donate to any organization or facility, like gyms, libraries, and community centers.

#2 Way to Recycle Read Magazines: Cut out recipes from any magazines that you regularly read, including the pictures. Store the magazine recipes in your favorite cookbook for future cooking inspiration.

#3 Way to Recycle Read Magazines: Magazines contain beautiful interior photographs, colors, hues, and household products. Clip and save any room lay outs or DIY projects that you'd like to try sometime.

#4 Way to Recycle Read Magazines: Roll up an already read magazine and place it in a knee-length zipped boot in order to maintain the shape of suede, vinyl or leather boot. Place a magazine in each boot.

#5 Way to Recycle Read Magazines: Use the perfume adds as liners for lingerie or sock drawers. The perfume ad pages found in women's magazines should be opened to release the scent, and folded back again so they are closed. Any glossy magazine pages can be used to make colorful liners for old bureau drawers.