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Carbon emissions: Publishers try skinnier books to cut CO2

bbc.com · 977 words · saved by 1 readers

A typical paperback book accounts for around 1kg of carbon dioxide, according to sustainability expert Mike Berners-Lee. Perhaps that does not sound like much. But in the US alone, where 767 million paperback books were sold in 2023, this is equivalent to the electricity use of more than 150,000 homes for a year. Forest loss, paper production and printing, and transport of books are generally the largest contributors to the carbon emissions of printed books. So, using less wood fibre, and shipping lighter loads, are important ways to reduce the emissions of print books (as well as the costs of producing them). One simple method is reducing the thickness of the paper. Some publishers are turning to subtly thinner paper. There are limits to this: the most lightweight paper may be less durable. And for certain types of books, including art books, there’s a preference for heavier paper. Yet between these extremes, most readers are unlikely to notice the difference. Nor would most readers n

Publishers try skinnier books to save money and emissions 16 September 2024 Share Save Add as preferred on Google Christine Ro Technology Reporter Getty Images Making books slimmer and lighter could mean significant CO2 savings A typical paperback book accounts for around 1kg of carbon dioxide, according to sustainability expert Mike Berners-Lee . Perhaps that does not sound like much. But in the US alone, where 767 million paperback books were sold in 2023, this is equivalent to the electricity use of more than 150,000 homes for a year. Forest loss, paper production and printing, and transpor

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