Where does the paper come from?

Paper source:

All of the paper used to make the newsletters comes from sustainable sources and carries the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) which means that is has been sourced in an environmentally-friendly, socially responsible and economically viable manner.

Is the paper recyclable?

Even though the paper is glossy, it can still be recycled with your normal kerbside collection.

What Ink is used?

The ink used is vegetable based.

I’ve finished with my newsletter, what should I do with it?

First of all, thank you for reading it!

You may like to pass it on to someone else that might like to read the articles or who may benefit from knowing about local businesses.

  • It might be worth keeping it somewhere safe ready for if you ever do need to use a local business!
  • If you can find no further use for the newsletter you may like to let your kids turn it into paper aeroplanes and see who has the best design.
  • Use a paper shredder and used as pet bedding (assuming the ink used isn’t going to pose a problem – don’t forget to remove the staple!)
  • If you have kids or perhaps even if you don’t! Why not use the left over newsletter to make something out of ‘paper mache’?
  • Finally if you’ve reached the decision to say goodbye to the newsletter it is 100% recyclable!
What about the carbon footprint of the newsletter?

Carbon Footprint

I’ve heard newsletters aren’t environmentally friendly:

This isn’t entirely true. Like absolutely everything in life it will have a carbon footprint. The newsletter is printed on a renewable resource and is 100% recyclable so therefore they’re more environmentally friendly than the use of computers to read articles and view adverts as the newsletter is made of a 100% recyclable product and it is one of the world’s most recycled products.

There is an element of irony when people use their computing devices to complain about the environmental impact of paper newsletters which is lost on some.

  • Computing devices consume electricity and have an ongoing carbon footprint, our newsletters don’t.
  • Computing devices have larger amounts of metal in them that has been dug up from the earth destroying the landscape and is encapsulated in non-recyclable plastic. Our newsletter is have 2 little staples and is 100% recyclable and contains recycled products.
  • The carbon foot print of producing a computing device is significantly greater than a paper newsletter.
  • Computing devices are often produced in factories abroad that have poor working conditions and poor human rights. Our newsletter is produced here in Wilstock, and printed in Taunton using paper that is FSC certified sustainable.
  • You can pin our newsletter on a board and come back to it time and time again without increasing the carbon footprint, using a computing device to do this would increase the energy carbon footprint.
  • You can turn our newsletter into something different or share it before you recycle it.

For more information, you may wish to compare Facts & Myths over at Two Sides

A great comparison between the use of paper and computing devices can be found here

What about the carbon footprint of the newsletter?

What is Wilstock & Stockmoor News Ltd doing to offset the CO2 from all the newsletters?

We don’t expect our readers to change their lifestyle for our newsletter, which is why we purchased 1 tonne of CO2 offset on 1st September 2020 the day we launched our first newsletter, so we got off to a good start. 

Every month we purchase additional carbon offset to reduce the impact of the newsletter.

In addition to using FSC paper which replaces the trees cut down, every month we pay for ecologi.com to plant additional trees. You can track our progress on their website.

What is the carbon footprint of the newsletter?

A very (very, very) rough working of the CO2 emissions for each individual newsletter based on lithographic printing and based on a number of assumptions including approximately 70% Co2 from paper production.

Estimated Carbon Footprint
  • 16 page: 30.03g – 45.45g
  • 20 page: 37.5g – 56.81g
  • 24 page: 45.0g – 68.18g
  • 28 page: 52.5g – 79.54
  • 32 page: 60.06g – 90.90g
  • 36 page: 67.5g – 102.26
  • 40 page: 75.0g – 113.62g
  • 44 page: 82.5g – 124.99g
  • 48 page: 90.0g – 136.35g
  • 52 page: 97.5g – 147.72g
  • 56 page: 105g – 159.08g

Source: Printing

Estimated Carbon Footprint

Estimated carbon footprint for our January 2023 edition which was 32pp and had a print run of 4500 copies.

Lower estimate

60.06g x 4500 copies = 270.27 Kg CO2

Upper estimate

90.90g x 4500 copies = 409.05 Kg CO2

Note
-includes the carbon footprint from paper production
-includes the carbon footprint from printing

-does not include the carbon footprint for delivery
-does not include the carbon footprint for distribution as newsletters are delivered on foot/bike

Perspective

Perspective is very important and so comparative data is useful…