Publishers Going Green

I recently read an article that indicated of the 4 billion books published every year, only 5 - 10% of them make use of recycled materials. As a Greenie and a writer, it really got me thinking.


Most of you know that I wrote my first novel last fall. This book is about two days away from being able to be published (IMO mind you, no professional Editor has laid eyes on it just yet) but I’m wondering how and where I should market my piece of fiction.

Two years ago, one of our favorite musicians here at GLR, Jason Mraz, put out a photography book titled “A Thousand Things”. When it came out I thought it was super innovative for its use of sustainable materials in the paper (Forest Stewardship Council [FSC] certified wood free, chlorine free) and ink (soy based). Even the cover is wood free and, upon Jason’s request, all waste during the printing process was recycled.

Not bad! But how about for those of us who aren’t already a celebrity? When we put out our first book can we be as demanding of how it is printed or do we have to suffer as a tree is chopped down and deal with it because we don’t have any influence in the process?

Well that question is mostly rhetorical when it comes to me because if there is anything you all know about me by now it’s that I never rest quietly on what someone else says I should do! ‘Question, challenge then understand’ should be my motto in life.

So then the first question of course is: where do I begin?

Many publishers are thinking of new approaches to the questions of sustainability. For example, they may use standard tree pulp for their paper but it comes from sources deemed FSC certified*.

There is also a growing trend to offset their paper footprint in ways around the office. Chronicle Books has an Environmental Policy link right on their homepage where they talk about the Green initiatives in their office construction three years ago, as well as their support of various social and humanitarian charities through their staff’s volunteerism.

Another new movement cropping up among many publishers is the elimination of paper from their media. There are so many ways to publish electronically these days -- blogs, websites, pdf documents, even twitter! -- it is almost not necessary to cut down a tree just to put an author’s perspective out into the world.

Other publishers will plant a tree for each book printed, such as Eco-Libris. Because many of the publishers that partner with Eco-Libris print on demand (only print copies when an order is placed), it reduces the advance of materials in order to satisfy orders.

For me it will be easy enough to cross reference the publishers I find listed online with my Writer’s Market 2010 guide to publishers that I have in paperback form in my office already.

Since there is an environmental angle in my manuscript, it might not be a bad idea to start with those folks. After all, we will be on the same page when it comes to the printing process. No pun intended.

*read more about certification and sustainable forestry on the FSC.

Trees for the Future Donates Trees All Over The Globe

I am an online survey taker. Years ago I came across a pretty cool company that sends me links for surveys in all manner of topics and I answer the ones I want in order to gain points. The points can be used to “purchase” items in their redemption center.

So far I have collected enough points to redeem for items like a Black and Decker cordless screwdriver, a sushi set (with chopsticks) made of bamboo for two, gift cards, CD’s, a coffee grinder and more. So when they emailed me recently to let me know that for just 200 points I could help donate 10 trees through the Trees for the Future program I was intrigued!

Like any good researcher I immediately set out to find out all I could about Trees for the Future. Turns out, the non-profit organization has been busy planting upwards of 50 million trees in countless countries all around the world since 1989. They have been instrumental in providing training in agro-forestry as well as seed distribution efforts in order to bring tree cover back to many rural communities which have lost this precious resource.

And all I had to do to help further the cause was click a button to redeem 200 points for the planting of ten trees! It felt great to be able to help in even this small way. You just never know where the opportunity to make a difference might be lurking!

To find out more about this very dedicated organization you can visit them on the web at:

Trees for the Future website
Treesftf on Facebook
Treesftf on You Tube

There are many ways to donate directly to Treesftf -- give a gift of a planted tree to someone else, give a cash donation, donate a car, truck or boat, volunteer, or organize a tree planting project of your own! I highly suggest getting over to their website and exploring the various options for how to help.

The planet, and all its oxygen breathing inhabitants, will thank you for it!

Boogie Board Paperless LCD Writing Tablet

We’ve all been there, we need to make a quick note and can’t find a piece of scrap paper to write on, our pen runs out of ink or worst of all we get the note written but lose the paper later. If that was a piece of critical information for our jobs we might be up the proverbial creek! Boogie Board has tried to alleviate the potential for any of the above scenarios with its LCD Writing Tablet.

As you can see from the lower right corner of the photo above, I am a note taker extraordinaire! I have countless scraps of paper & pads on my desk detailing all the items I need to complete, research, or file away. Once the task is complete I reuse the rest of the paper or recycle it. So when I was fortunate enough to open up the mail to find this Boogie Board one afternoon I immediately started doing the happy dance!

First off, inside the cover is a statistic that one of these babies per student in one classroom for the life of their education (Kindergarten through High School) can save upwards of 3 million trees. Holy cow that is great! It is great for notes or drawings, then simply push the erase button to free the screen for the next great idea.

The Boogie Board is super thin, only about 1/8” thick at the screen, and the stylus pen that comes with it is telescoping (it extends to double the size). Compared to a small pad of paper, its compact size of roughly 4” x 7” fits nicely on the corner of a desk or in a laptop case and won’t add a whole lot of extra weight. Plus it comes with a cleaning cloth that wipes down the screen, static and liquid free, and the unit is priced at under $30.

There are some drawbacks. It can not be connected to a computer so notes must either be transcribed or a photo needs to be taken if the user wants to save the screen. The screen is pressure sensitive but it does not come with a carrying case (I fashioned my own out of the superfluous cardboard packaging it is shipped in). There is no attached slot to store the stylus so I could see it easily getting lost. Finally, the product runs on non-rechargeable batteries (3V watch battery, sealed) so the unit must be trashed upon the end of their life. Researching recycling options is recommended but to me this is a real bummer.

Overall, I feel the innovation outweighs many of the drawbacks and I am granting the Boogie Board a Three Leaf Rating!

I look forward to where your technological efforts lead in the future Boogie Board! ♥love♥

Fairway Independent Mortgage in Boston Goes Green

Most of you have heard Matt’s name in and around these parts for the better part of fifteen months now so I suppose it is high time I formerly introduce him to everyone. Matt is a senior level guru of all things mortgage business. A few months ago he was hired to work at the Boston branch of the national company Fairway Independent Mortgage.

When he came home during his first week and explained that their office was attempting to go almost completely paperless, not only was I shocked but greatly encouraged! I knew it was time to talk to some of the people in the know so I was put in touch with a couple of lovely ladies at Fairway who went way above and beyond to get me the most up to date information on the Green efforts of the Boston branch.

After reading through this article I found there was nothing more to add so I am reprinting here in its entirety. Huge thanks to Beth and Lisa for your quick turn around and amazing job on this!

Taking a Pass on Wasting Paper

When it comes to industries traditionally burdened with mounds of paper, few come close to the mortgage industry. The amount of written client communication and required documentation for processing a mortgage can be cumbersome. From loan origination through post-closing, the mortgage industry has historically depended on paper: copies of pay stubs, bank statements and insurance policies right through to the actual delivery of loan documents. According to Xerox Corporation, “in any given year, the industry generates more than six billion new pages of paper – equivalent to a paper stack over 370 miles high.” Perhaps this is the reason closing a home loan is often referred to as “passing papers.”

Trends are shifting, however. The Boston office of Fairway Independent Mortgage Company has invested in a leaner, greener way to run its office. Branch Manager David Lazowski has put systems in place to dramatically reduce the amount of paper used in the process of obtaining a home loan.

“There’s simple technology now available that allows us to electronically scan, safely transmit and save the documentation we need to process a loan,” says Lazowski. “Not only does it give us the opportunity to operate in a way that is more thoughtful of our use of natural resources, it saves money, time and physical space, and provides for improved workflow.” In addition to the environmental impact and cost savings of using less paper, fewer printer cartridges are necessary; mailing costs and related fuel consumption are also reduced.

The system is called Encompass 360, an internal imaging and document capture system, part of the loan origination software used by Fairway Independent’s Boston office. It allows documents to be sent to the borrower and faxed back directly to the company’s computer system. They are then easily saved in a client’s electronic folder and safely emailed to the underwriter. The only documents that are printed are those needing an original signature as required by law.

Matthew Shon, Fairway’s Senior Processing Lead, says that the company’s use of paper is reduced by about 80% overall. “Traditionally, a loan file might contain an average of 500 printed pages; we can get that down to about 100. Some of those printed pages we are required to shred, so we send them to a company that recycles the paper – two containers of shredded paper, and we’ve saved a tree.”

Why is this so important?

Trees absorb carbon in the atmosphere, yet cutting down trees contributes to carbon emissions as a result both of the machinery used in the process and the work of transporting them to a paper mill. Making paper at that mill consumes even more carbon, and then the paper is transported again, using more carbon-based fuel.

And consider this: the cost savings to a company by using fewer consumable products like paper, printer ink and electricity can be substantial. The savings generated from producing less waste can help a company to be more competitive.

So get started now. Print less. Recycle more. Turn over that note paper and write on the other side. We can all be inspired to take a pass on wasting paper, and find ourselves making a difference in the world.

About the Boston branch of Fairway Independent Mortgage

Located in heart of downtown, the Boston branch of Fairway Independent Mortgage provides financial solutions for professionals, their clients, individuals and families to assist in accomplishing their goals. The corporate umbrella that is Fairway Independent Mortgage provides the Boston branch with the systems and the culture to service their clients with the best and most current financial tools available. The company is a unique blend of personalized care and attention with the know-how and support of a larger, well established company

Not only is the company culture Green, but the mindset of employees within the corporation is one of care and compassion. Matt has truly discovered a home with these folks and since they are such an innovator in the industry, he can go to work every day knowing his Greenie wife will not cringe when he comes home!

Keep spreading the word Fairway that trees don’t have to suffer for a mortgage anymore. Hooray for saving trees, hooray for innovation!

A Paperless World?

This morning I spent a little time updating some of my bills addresses since the move there were a few that fell by the wayside and I didn’t have a chance to update them until now. When I went in to change my address with Verizon (my cell phone carrier) a little box popped up encouraging me to go paperless. It looked like this:

I already get email reminders that my bill is due so I figured it really was high time to make the leap into total paperless billing. It felt so good that when I set up my new account with my cable and internet provider Comcast I took full advantage of their ecoBill program. I will never receive a single paper bill from them, in fact the only thing in their folder in my filing cabinet is the signed installation work order. Hooray!

It occurred to me that we had 100% wind power supplied electric in our last apartment and I did search my new provider’s website to see if they do the same but alas they are not quite there yet and the old company is not available in my new area. I did however enroll in their paperless billing program!

That was three down and only one to go because our car insurance and student loans are all paperless already. I was a little bummed to discover that Toyota Financial doesn’t offer paperless billing. I put an inquiry out to Customer Service to see if perhaps I was just missing it on the site or maybe it was a special request thing only. Here is to the hope that it is something I can accomplish asap!

Another thing we are planning to do this week is both Matt and I will be looking into 41pounds.org again. We have talked about this before and it was successful for Melissa. With a new move comes a small reprieve from the unwanted junk mail and then boom, it seems to hit again all at once. Hopefully 41pounds.org will help get rid of everything before it even starts.

It might be small steps and I might be way behind the curve on accomplishing this but I am just happy to be able to say I am personally reducing the pounds of paper that come in and out of my own house every year.

Are you doing paperless billing too? What other ways have you reduced your own addiction to paper? How do you recycle your shredded paper?

Money Doesn’t Grow On Trees Anymore

We have all heard the expression but after thinking about it a little bit today I realized that, well, essentially it does since the most frequently used money is made from paper. In 2000 the United States released the $1 Golden Coin called the Sacagawea with little interest to most, with the exception of some coin collectors. It might be surprising to learn that in the year 2007 the United States began a new $1 coin program featuring the Presidents.

Direct from the US Mint website:

“The United States is honoring our Nation’s Presidents by issuing $1 circulating coins featuring their images in the order that they served. The United States Mint issues four Presidential $1 Coins per year, with Presidents Harrison, Tyler, Polk, and Taylor being honored in 2009. Each coin has a common reverse design featuring a striking rendition of the Statue of Liberty. These coins feature larger, more dramatic artwork, as well as edge-incused inscriptions of the year of minting or issuance, "E Pluribus Unum" and the mint mark. "In God We Trust" will appear on the face of the coin starting in 2009. Although the size, weight and metal composition of the new Presidential $1 Coin are identical to that of the Sacagawea Golden Dollar, there are several unique features that make this coin distinctive.”

One of the coolest things about these coins is that they are not made of paper. A paper bill will go into circulation and last upwards of four years before it is destroyed. That is certainly a lot of trees killed since the United States prints billions of dollars annually. The coins can last for up to forty years in circulation which will significantly reduce the environmental impact of creating money. In addition to the obvious saving of trees another advantage is that once the coin comes out of circulation it can simply be melted down to create a brand new, shiny, dollar. Now that is recycling at its finest!