Media & The Environment

Why is it important?

Print and paper is used by news media publishers to produce their print titles.  Newsprint is uncoated paper, made out of mechanical pulp or waste paper, which is used to produce newspapers. Nowadays people realise that newspapers are not responsible for rainforest depletion. The hardwoods from tropical rainforests are simply not suitable for newsprint production.

In fact, newsprint is an environmentally sound, renewable resource which comes from managed softwood coniferous forests, mainly in North America and Europe. Here, for every tree cut down, two or three more are planted. Between 2005 and 2015 European forests grew by 44,160 sqkm, an area larger than Switzerland (Two Sides analysis of UN FAO data 2016).   

 

The industry has a voluntary agreement with the government on the recycled content of UK newspapers.  In 1991, the UK publishers set a target of achieving 40 per cent recycled content in newspapers by the year 2000. The industry met this target four years ahead of schedule. 

In 2020 the recycled paper content of UK newspapers was 67%. The national average recycling figure now appears prominently in all major newspapers, national and regional, along with the industry's recycling logo.Newspapers Support Recycling

 

In fact, newsprint is an environmentally sound, renewable resource which comes from managed softwood coniferous forests.

Inform and educate the public about the true facts of the use of print and paper.

 

Current situation

The NMA is an advocate of responsible production and use of print and paper by news media publishers and of the voluntary producer agreement between the press industry and the government, which has been highly effective. The NMA would oppose any changes to this at a UK or European level.  There is also a need to inform and educate the public about the true facts of the use of print and paper.

Climate Crisis and Environmental Initiatives

What is the NMA doing about it?

The NMA works to highlight the environmental credentials of its member publishers and their commitment to meeting targets for the recycled content of newsprint in their publications.  

The newspaper and magazine industry has worked with Two Sides - a pan European body which promotes responsible production and use of print and paper – on advertising campaigns highlighting the effectiveness and sustainability of the medium. Written in collaboration with Two Sides, NMA has published a booklet, available by contacting the NMA, which aims to provide news media publishers with relevant and balanced information about the sustainability of print and paper.

Media & Environment News

Journalism Matters To Run In November
Journalism Matters, the news media industry’s annual campaign to highlight the importance of trusted journalism, will run from 1-7 November this year. Coordinated by the News Media Ass...

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Peers Call For Transparency On Environment Bill
Peers have called for transparency protections to be written into new legislation to prevent a chill on the reporting of environmental issues, such as the investigations of public bodies for pote...

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News Publishers Continue Environmental Initiatives
National, regional and local newspapers are continuing a range of initiatives to support climate change and environmental causes. The Daily Mail have again launched their ‘Great Britis...

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NMA: Environmental Investigations Must Not Be Hidden From Public View
Investigations into suspected failures by public authorities to comply with environmental law must not be hidden from public view, the News Media Association has said.  The NMA and the&...

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Newsprint Recycled Content Audit Published
The average recycled content of newspapers in 2019 was 63.2 per cent, according to a report compiled by independent auditors for the Newspaper Industry Materials Committee. The combined recy...

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