Bauer’s Commitment to Environmental Sustainability
Bauer Media Group recognises that as a large consumer of paper we need to lessen our impact on the environment wherever possible, and as such this statement is a declaration of our commitment to environmental sustainability and support for responsible forest management worldwide.
Supporting Sustainable Forestry – Chain of Custody
Bauer Media Group has successfully gained certification for Chain of Custody for both the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes) schemes. Both of these schemes:
- Promote environmentally, socially and economically sustainable forest management
- Are independent, non-profit, nongovernmental organisations
- Are voluntary and require forest managers and links in the chain to meet criteria over and above current environmental legislative requirements
- Provide a labelling system that is easy for the consumer/end user to recognise and understand that symbolised the responsible management of the worlds forests
- Promote continuous improvement and review
Independently verified Chain of Custody provides an assurance to the consumer that the product they are purchasing can be tracked through all the marketing and processing channels back to the wood fibre from certified forests.
Bauer Media Group is the first magazine publisher in Australia to gain certification for FSC and PEFC chain-of-custody.
The Bauer Media executive team is fully committed to achieving our goals and has appointed Flora Gemmell, Operations Development Manager for Production Services to manage the process of certification and the on-going obligations for Bauer Media Group under the Chain of Custody standards.
Print and Paper Procurement
Bauer Media Group currently purchases the majority of paper stocks for magazine production from Chain of Custody certified paper mills. Bauer Media Group will continue to strive towards Chain of Custody certification for 100% of paper mills from which we purchase stocks.
This procurement policy ensures that paper fibre used comes from forests which are responsibly and sustainably managed. Where Bauer Media Group seeks to make any claim for Chain of Custody certification for any publication, Bauer Media Group will only outsource printing and paper purchasing to FSC or PEFC certified companies.
Recycling
Bauer Media Group has been a founding member of Publishers National Environment Bureau (PNEB) which was established in 1991 to focus and support environmental paper recycling projects in Australia. Its major achievement has been to increase recycling of newsprint from 28% to 78% in 2010 – among the highest in the world. .
The publishing industry has invested more than $170 million since the inception of the PNEB in 1991. These funds have been used to build a world-class de-inking plant; allocated to Commonwealth and State Governments in free advertising space to support recycling; and invested in over 100 individual projects.
Flora Gemmell, Operations Development Manager for Production Services, has been Bauer Media Group’s representative on the board of the PNEB since 2007. For more information see: www.pneb.com.au
Bauer’s Aims
While technology is improving the quality of recycled paper stocks, Bauer Media Group believes that newsprint and cartons or other packaging remain the most efficient use of recycled fibre. Bauer Media Group supports and promotes the recycling of magazines as it forms a crucial part of the input to the manufacture of recycled stocks and diverts this useful paper waste from landfill.
Bauer Media Group aims to continue to support recycling of our products in the community and to use our paper and print procurement policies to demonstrate our support for sustainable forestry worldwide.
Signed:
Matthew Stanton, CEO Bauer Media Group