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Book Publishers


Who's Good Between the Covers in Canadian Literature?

During the past 2.5 years, Markets Initiative has worked extensively with Canadian book publishers to help them shift away from papers derived from the world’s ancient and endangered forests. We have worked throughout the entire supply chain – with writers, publishers, printers and mills to find and develop ancient forest-friendly papers. The progress made by the Canadian publishing sector has been groundbreaking, garnered significant ecological savings and inspired similar work with book publishers in six other countries.

Many of Canada’s leading authors have pledged their support for a publishing industry that helps safeguard ancient forests and biodiversity. Some have requested their publishers print their next book on ancient forest friendly paper, others have written inspirational passages and posed for photographs used in ads and posters. Their support of publishers and this initiative has been invaluable.

View a list of Ancient Forest Friendly Book Titles for 2003


Canadian Harry Potter - Working Magic for The World’s Ancient and Endangered Forests


“Books are made from paper, paper comes from trees. So, as it presently stands, book publishing in Canada contributes to ancient forest destruction and global warming. But this is quickly changing… ”
- New Society Publishers, 2001
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Successes To Date

When Markets Initiative first started working with Canadian book publishers, none were consistently printing on recycled papers. There were no printers stocking ancient forest friendly papers and an ancient forest friendly book grade paper was not regularly available. As of May 2003:
  • 34 leading Canadian publishing houses have formalised commitments to eliminate their use of papers originating from the world’s ancient and endangered forests. Publishers include: McClelland & Stewart, Random House Canada, Penguin Canada, Raincoast Books, Vintage Canada, Douglas & McIntyre, Key Porter Books…
  • 45 leading Canadian authors have signed on as writers who support an ancient forest free book publishing sector (including Margaret Atwood, Pierre Berton, Barbara Gowdy, Michael Ondaatje, Alice Munro),
  • 5 Canadian book printers now stock ancient forest friendly papers as floor stock,
  • Over 3 million books have been printed on ancient forest friendly papers by Canadian publishers in the past 18 months
  • 7 ancient forest friendly papers have been developed in specifically response to Canadian publishers’ commitments
  • 10 writers have successfully requested their books be placed on ancient forest friendly paper, since March 2002
  • By using ancient forest friendly papers, Canadian book publishers have saved: 43,097 trees; electricity to power the average North American home for 382 years; 2.2 million kilograms of greenhouses gasses (equivalent of 6.8 million km travelled by car); 52 million liters of water
“We would never buy paper made from dead bears, otter, salmon and birds, from ruined native cultures, from destroyed species and destroyed lives, from ancient forests reduced to stumps and mud; but that’s what we’re buying when we buy paper made from old-growth clear-cut trees”.
- Margaret Atwood

Canadian book publishers with formal commitments to help safeguard the world's ancient and endangered forests include:

Anchor Canada    Arsenal Pulp Press   Banff Centre Press   Broadview Press   Doubleday Canada   Douglas & McIntyre   Greystone Books   Groundwood Books   Heritage House   House of Anansi Press Key Porter Books Kids  Can Press   Knopf Canada    McClelland & Stewart Macfarlane, Walter and Ross  McGill-Queen’s University Press   NeWest Press New Society Publishers  Penguin Canada   Polestar Books Press Gang Publishers Raincoast Books   Random House Canada  Ronsdale Press Seal Canada    Tundra Books    University of British Columbia Press   Vintage Canada   Whitecap Books

With 80% of the world’s large tracts of intact ancient forests already logged and global paper consumption projected to increase roughly 77% by 2020, publishers’ actions are truly a monumental step forward in support of Canada’s literary and environmental heritage.
Publishers save one tree with every 90 books printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper.

Canadian Book Publishers Leading the International Publishing Community

Following our successes with Canadian book publishers, similar work has started with publishers in the US, and five other countries. There are now 30 US publishers with formalised commitments:

Amber Lotus Publications, Ash Tree Publishing, Ave Maria Press, Baker Book House, Beyond Words Publishing, Chelsea Green, Cornell University Press, Council Oak Books, Crestport Press, Fairview Press, Four Walls Eight Windows, Free Spirit Publishing, Gibbs Smith Publisher, Hampton Roads Publishing, Island Press, Krishnamurti Publications, Lantern Books, Lost Horse Press, Middleway Press, Newmarket Press, New World Library, Pamoon Press, Parallax Press, Seven Stories Press, Sierra Club Books, Sorin Books, Snow Lion Publications, South End Press, The Haworth Press, Weatherhill, Wild Cat Canyon, Wisdom Publications, World Resources Institute Press.

What You Can Do to Support Canada's Writers and Publishers:

  • Look for titles published by Canada’s leading ancient forest friendly publishers
  • Look for the ancient forest friendly line when buying your next book
  • Write a letter of support to Canada’s ancient forest friendly publishers
“Nothing I have ever written is worth the smallest branch of an old-growth tree. Poetry is alive only if it respects what is living. Its soul dies when the actions of writers or publishers contribute to the destruction of any species - plant or animal- on this wounded planet.”
- Lorna Crozier, 2001

Publishers' Resources

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