HP is teaming up with the Independent Publishers Guild, Clays and CPI Books, to encourage the use of local printers for children’s and illustrated books rather than sending these jobs to Asia. The lever is a reduction in carbon impact and waste.
The Localising Print Project will be a report that outlines the potential benefits and drawbacks from bringing these types of book back from Asia. This was highlighted in a Print Business report last year.
Publishers involved include Hardie Grant, David Fickling Books and Nosy Crow. The latter has used printers like Leo Paper Products, Toppan Excel and RR Donnelley Asia Printing Solutions in Hong Kong.
“The working group will explore in particular the potential for replicating Asia based technology and labour for producing books, especially full colour and novelty titles, in the UK,” says a statement from the IPG. Pop up book production especially has been centred on the Far East because of the handwork involved. Integraf has also investigated the potential for board book production for early learner books to return to Europe.
The IPG’s Sustainability Action Group has already identified printing and transport as major environmental impacts, which has set goals for eliminating air freight by 2030 and to localise production of a specific percentage of colour and novelty printing by 2025.
Amanda Ridout, founder and CEO of Boldwood Books and Sustainability Action Group chair, says: “Independent publishers are determined to reduce the environmental footprint of printing books, and this cross industry collaboration is a vital first step. The research findings will help us set meaningful targets for improvement, and we are grateful to the children’s and illustrated publishers who are demonstrating their commitment to improving sustainability by steering this work.”
The work is line with wider international efforts to reduce the environmental impact of book publishing. Earlier this month the International Publishers Association and Federation of European Publishers announced its Publishing 2030 Accelerator ahead of a presentation of the aims and objectives at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
This will set an agreed approach for calculating the carbon footprint of an individual book. It will also encourage publishers to adopt a distributed printing model.
The Publishing 2030 Accelerator has the support of printers from across Europe and has the support of Canon through its Future Book Forum project.
