In John Grant's
The Green Marketing Manifesto, the medium mirrors the message, and for that it won the first Environmental Award from the
2008 British Book Design and Production Awards.
The Environmental Award, new this year, is given to books "that have been produced using best practice in environmental management including the use of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) papers and reduction in carbon footprint."
According to
Grant, the judges stated "Everything comes together with this title - the selection of a culturally green manufacturing company, vegetable based ink, acid free FSC paper, ISO 14001 compliance and ample space for important use of logos and environmental text."
Luke Nicholson, director of
More Associates, the designers behind the book,
wrote about the book, "If writers like John can create books that will be kept for decades by their readers, then the paper is used hundreds of times more efficiently than most of our print material. Most of the paper that is made goes into use for less than a single month before it is pulped or sent to landfill."
Nicholson points out an important issue: the environmental impact of a book can go far beyond whether or not it uses FSC certified paper.
The world of books is one area where longevity and reuse are key areas that help minimize impacts, whether its making quality books that people keep for a lifetime or informative and entertaining books that get passed from person to person to person.
