NORCROSS, GA,
May 2, 2011
(Press Release) -
Hans H. Wegner, Chief Sustainability Officer, National Geographic Society, will discuss the results of a life cycle assessment (LCA) by National Geographic magazine in a keynote address at 10:30 a.m., May 4 at the TAPPI Sustainability Forum held during PaperCon 2011. The work represents one of the most comprehensive LCA studies to date on a magazine. PaperCon will take place May 1-4, 2011 in Covington, KY at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.
"We are very pleased that such a highly respected and well known brand, National Geographic, will share the results of this in-depth life cycle assessment on their flagship magazine at the TAPPI Sustainability Forum," notes Larry N. Montague, TAPPI President & CEO. "As more and more companies understand that protecting the environment is a sound business strategy, sustainability has become an increasingly important issue. This keynote, and TAPPI"s Forum, will provide valuable knowledge and insights on sustainability and its impact on the forest products industry.
The goal of the LCA, completed in June 2009, was to identify the carbon emissions of creating the magazine content, of the supply chain of vendors and service providers that factor into the creation and delivery of a physical magazine, and finally, of disposal of the magazine. Among the many processes evaluated were: floor space and energy to maintain staffs for story development, editing, advertising and sales; forestry management and harvesting; chemical suppliers; paper manufacturing; transportation to the printer; printing and binding; distribution by truck, rail, etc.; and waste services. Goals for the final document included that it be as comprehensive and transparent as possible, peer reviewed, audited and that it could serve as a template for other studies.
The results showed that an average copy of National Geographic magazine has a carbon footprint of 1.82 pounds (0.82 kilograms) of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent. One year's worth of the magazine has a footprint of 21.84 pounds (9.84 kg) of CO2 which is the equivalent CO2 output of burning a gallon of gas. The next step being taken in the process is to develop options to reduce the carbon footprint and then develop a strategy for implementing those that are practical and effective.
Wegner is Vice President of Production Services responsible for the manufacture of National Geographic Magazine. He was recently named the Society's Chief Sustainability Officer, where he is responsible for initiatives to green its operations, putting into action sustainability plans and carbon reduction initiatives in the Society's operations and with its suppliers. Hans has a BA in American History with a minor in Economics from the University of Maryland.
The annual PaperCon Conference is the largest conference of its kind in the world. It is the annual conference for three major groups in TAPPI (Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry): PIMA (Paper Industry Management Association), TAPPI Papermakers Division and TAPPI Coating and Graphic Arts Division. The theme for the 2011 event is "Rethink Paper: Lean and Green". The conference will also feature a Sustainability Forum and Tissue Forum. The Recycled Paperboard Technical Association has also joined the conference this year with their Production-Technical seminar running concurrently.
About TAPPI:
TAPPI is the leading association for the worldwide pulp, paper, packaging and converting industries and publisher of Paper360° and TAPPI JOURNAL. Through information exchange, events, trusted content and networking opportunities, TAPPI helps members elevate their performance by providing solutions that lead to better, faster and more cost-effective ways of doing business. It has provided management training and networking to the industry's leaders for more than 95 years. Visit www.tappi.org.
