Books are ever-present in our lives: we look through picture books when we are children, study textbooks in school and at university, and, if we discover a passion for them, we use them as a way to educate ourselves (non-fiction) or to escape reality (fiction). Since the invention of the printing press in 1455, the publishing industry has grown into a vast and constantly changing field, shaped by trends such as emerging genres, popular literary tropes, and collectible editions.
However, the most significant and enduring trend is the growing focus on sustainability.
Environmental impact of the publishing industry
The publishing industry has a substantial environmental impact, driven by deforestation, heavy water and chemical use in paper production, and carbon emissions from printing, packaging, and shipping physical books. On the whole, the carbon footprint of a single book ranges from 2.7 to 7.5 kg of carbon dioxide.
One tree is needed to print 25 books, and according to Green Matters, the US publishing industry cuts down 32 million trees annually. It’s estimated that globally, 3.4 billion trees will be cut down over the next decade.
Beyond these impacts, the industry emits roughly 12.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually and contributes to landfill waste by discarding unsold books. According to a 2012 National Wildlife Federation-sponsored report by Associate Vice President of Education Programs Laura S. Hickey and Director of Higher Education Programs Kristy Jones, 640,000 tons of books are sent to landfills annually in the US.
Digital publishing, while being a more sustainable solution, is not 100% green. The carbon footprint of e-readers’ production, combined with data centers’ power usage and the growing problem of e-waste, contributes to a growing carbon footprint that replaces paper waste with toxic electronic waste and massive energy consumption.
However, as sustainability has become a primary concern for the publishing industry, new practices have emerged to reduce its environmental impact.
New practices to improve sustainability in book publishing
Print-on-demand
POD, or print-on-demand, has become one of the most impactful steps toward sustainable publishing. Publishing houses used to print every title in bulk, risking overproduction and warehousing it indefinitely.
POD allows publishers to produce books after purchase, helping to reduce overproduction. This method is not used for every title, but rather for backlist, academic, or non-trending titles. The approach helps to reduce waste (books not ending up in landfills) and shipping distances, emissions, and delivery times.
Adhering to EU deforestation-free regulation
The goal of the European Union’s (EU) deforestation regulation (EUDR) is to make sure that “a set of key products sold in the EU and globally no longer contribute to deforestation or forest degradation.” The EUDR prohibits products that don’t comply with legal and sustainability requirements from entering the EU market, requiring companies to ensure their products come from legal sources that don’t contribute to deforestation or land degradation. It will become applicable to all large companies on Dec. 30, 2025.
This regulation requires publishing houses that sell to the EU to prove that their books are made from paper sourced from responsible, deforestation-free, legally sourced forests. One of the major players in publishing, Penguin Random House, has already declared their compliance with the EUDR by December 30, which is just one part of their sustainability plan.
The publishing house has saved 14,200 tons of CO2e, resulting in a 49% reduction in emissions worldwide from 2018-2019; in 2021, more than 80% of Penguin Random House’s worldwide electricity was sourced from green energy. They also claimed they will be climate-neutral by 2030.
Hachette Livre has published a 2025 document specifically addressing the EUDR compliance. The policy requires suppliers to provide mandatory geolocation coordinates of timber harvest plots and verified information that the wood products don’t come from deforestation. Moreover, Hachette prohibits wood from restricted regions, such as Brazil, China, and Malaysia, unless it is FSC-certified.
Simon & Schuster UK has partnered with Carnstone, a management consultancy specializing in ESG and sustainability, to measure their indirect (Scope 3) footprint. By checking how their global paper suppliers use their land, the publisher prevents deforestation before it reaches their books.
Recycled and FSC-certified paper
Another way to reduce environmental impact is to use recycled paper. Using virgin paper consumes more energy and water than recycled paper. One ton of virgin paper requires about 33 million BTUs of energy and 22,853 gallons of water, emitting 5,601 lbs of greenhouse gas. Recycled paper, on the other hand, requires 33% less energy and 50% less water, emitting 37% less of greenhouse gas.
Using recycled paper also reduces landfill waste. There is a myth that recycled paper is of lower quality than virgin paper, but it’s not true. According to GreenLine Paper Company, high-quality recycled paper has the same feel and qualities as virgin paper while having a lower environmental impact. This was made possible by technological advances that have improved recycling processes and facilities.
However, although recycled paper is a more sustainable option, it’s not widely used in the publishing industry. Most publishing houses don’t publish transparent reports that state how much recycled paper they use in their books. The Hachette Book Group published one such report in 2023, stating that they used 5.2% recycled paper; the number is low due to the “decline of recycled paper availability.”
According to the forest certification system Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), sustainably sourced paper promotes responsible forest management, helping preserve wildlife and biodiversity, and supporting the local communities that rely on forests for their livelihoods. The giants of the publishing industry, such as Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette Livre, and Macmillan Publishers, rely on FSC-certified paper suppliers.
Soy-based inks
Besides relying on POD, another way to reduce emissions is to use soy-based inks in printing instead of petroleum-based ones. The former breaks down more easily and is safer to recycle, thus constituting a more eco-friendly practice; the latter is much more difficult to recycle and contributes to air pollution.
Petroleum-based inks contribute directly to carbon dioxide emissions during their production but also contain heavy metals, such as cadmium, lead, and mercury, which are harmful to the environment and human health. They were popular in the past because they are cost-effective and dry fast, but now the publishing houses are turning to soy-based inks. Petroleum-based inks emit around 25-40% of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), while soy-based inks can emit as low as 4%.
Digital Publishing
Digital publishing has become very popular in today’s world. It offers a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional publishing, as it doesn’t require paper production, printing, or distribution. E-readers have gained popularity, offering advantages like ease of carrying (they’re small) and minimal space (they can hold thousands of books). Kindle, Amazon’s e-reader, has over 30 million users in the US alone, and it holds 72% of the e-reader market.
However, traditional print publishing reigns supreme. According to Association of American Publishers (AAP), in the trade (consumer) sector, print publishing accounted for 72.9%, while digital publishing accounted for 21.2% (e-books – 10.0% and audiobooks – 11.2%) in 2024.
Although digital publishing is a more sustainable alternative to traditional publishing, it still has problems. The production of e-readers depends on resource extraction and an energy-heavy process, often involving rare earth metals. When discarded, they contribute to the growing e-waste problem, while ongoing power use and cloud data storage further increase their long-term carbon footprint.
The benefits of digital publishing depend on how many books a consumer reads. According to industry-standard Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) from the Cleantech Group, a single e-reader’s production and lifecycle footprint contributes to roughly 168kg of CO2. In contrast, a single new print book accounts for approximately 7.5kg of CO2, including production and distribution.
So, using an e-reader becomes a more sustainable option only if a consumer reads at least 23 books on it. Moreover, book lovers who exceed this threshold and keep their device for five years can avoid up to 160-200kg CO2 in net emissions.
Carbon offsetting
Carbon emission reduction has become a key priority across the publishing industry, with major publishing houses like Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster implementing carbon offset programs to compensate for their environmental impact.
By supporting renewable energy initiatives or reforestation projects, they can counterbalance emissions generated during book production and distribution. Some publishers are even working toward full carbon neutrality by offsetting all of their emissions.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used to make the publishing industry more sustainable. Using AI tools and automation can prevent surplus and minimize waste. AI-powered editing and layout software can prevent errors in books and prints, thus ensuring that unnecessary paper and costs are avoided, while automated inventory management ensures that print runs are closely aligned with actual demand. Moreover, AI uses route optimization for shipping, thus reducing carbon emissions.
Hachette Book Group published a guide in which they stated how they are using AI to help them reduce carbon emissions. Their use of AI and automation is strictly “operational,” and not “creative.” They reduce their waste and surplus by using AI-driven inventory management to predict which books will sell and where. This practice enables them to reduce paper waste by avoiding printing too many books. They also use it for route optimization to reduce freight emissions, as well as during their editorial stage to avoid printing errors, which eliminates the need for re-prints.
Penguin Random House makes use of AI technologies as well. They have partnered with osapiens, an AI-driven platform for sustainable growth, to trace the origins of their paper. This platform monitors supply chains to ensure no paper comes from deforestation areas, thus complying with the EUDR. They also use it for sales forecasting and stock management to avoid overprinting.
The UN’s SDG Publishers Compact
The UN also takes action regarding sustainability in the publishing industry. In 2020, it launched the SDG Publishers Compact framework in collaboration with the International Publishers Association (IPA) to guide the publishing industry. The decision to adhere to this framework is voluntary, but when signed, publishers commit to specific action points designed to accelerate progress toward the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
These action points are about prioritizing sustainability in operations, promoting SDG-themed content, and reporting progress. The UN guides publishers as manufacturers, content creators, and community leaders.
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The challenges of greener publishing
The challenges are many as the industry is still at the start of the road toward sustainability.
Sustainable practices are often more expensive
Like any new method of production, initially turning a business sustainable can appear costly, as it requires new investments: recycled and FSC-certified paper, POD, sustainable inks and materials, carbon offsetting programs, and renewable energy in printing. Big publishing houses can afford all these practices, while smaller, independent ones struggle with the costs. Sustainable publishing often involves higher short-term costs but lower long-term environmental and financial risk.
Overproduction and high return rates
According to Anne Bergman-Tahon, a director of the European Federation of Publishers, the publishing industry still relies on traditional bulk printing and struggles with high retailer return rates despite improvements such as POD. Consequently, unsold books end up in landfills, creating waste.
Complex global supply chains
This is yet another challenge, making it more difficult to enforce consistent sustainability standards. According to the Carbon Trust, which helps businesses, governments and organizations to decarbonize and accelerate to Net Zero, the vast majority of a company’s environmental impact is hidden deep in its supply chain. This creates a “blind spot” for publishers: while they may know their printer, they often lack data on the distant paper mills and chemical plants further down the line. Thus, it’s more difficult to ensure that every part of a book’s journey adheres to strict sustainability standards.
Greener future in publishing
The publishing industry is on track to make its practices more sustainable and green; in fact, it’s undergoing a fundamental transformation. For years, the industry’s environmental impact included millions of tons of waste and billions of cut-down trees. However, 2025 has been a turning point: the EUDR has pushed the entire paper supply chain toward deforestation-free standards, CSRD reports have been published in the first wave by large companies, and the industry has begun relying on Print-on-Demand, AI sales forecasting to prevent waste, and eco-friendly materials like soy-based inks.
Penguin Random House is a prime example of a publishing house doing their best to make their practices more sustainable. In 2025, they achieved their goal of sourcing nearly 100% of their paper from certified mills, while cutting their global emissions by nearly half compared to 2018 levels. They have also used the help of an AI-driven platform osapiens to trace every sheet of paper back to its origin, showing that it’s possible to stay responsible when it comes to global supply chains.
The challenge for 2026 and beyond is to scale this progress and bring it to smaller, independent publishers.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com — Cover Photo Credit: Patrick Tomasso
