Book Industry Environmental Council

Returns/Landfills Committee Goals Objectives and Strategy Key Goals

• Reduce the number of books that are overproduced and returned to publishers from retailers

• Reduce the number of books that end up in landfills by increasing then number of books that are recovered and recycled or reused.

Objectives

• Facilitate discussion among key stakeholders to identify opportunities to reduce returns and increase recycling/recovery/reuse of books

• Educate industry stakeholders about best practice for reducing returns and increasing recycling/recovery/reuse of books

• Demonstrate costs/benefits associated with reducing returns and recycling/recovering and reusing books for various sectors of the book industry

• Possibly establish/implement industry wide targets for reducing return or keeping books out of landfills

• Oversee national programs

Strategy

• Committee will research the key causes of the Industry’s high return rate, and of the relatively high number of books that are landfilled each year

• Where possible the committee will seek information on how returns and the number of landfilled books vary by book type

• The committee will look at initiatives underway at a variety of companies that are focused on reducing returns or increasing book recovery/recycling

• Based on the research mentioned above, the committee will identify key opportunities to reduce the over production of books and increase the number of books that are recovered and recycled at end of life.

• The committee will then publish a report which details steps that can be taken to reduce returns and increase book recover/recycling. This report will have specific suggestions for the various sectors of the book industry that may play a role in reducing the over production of books and/or recovering and recycling books. The report will also outline the cost/benefits associated with such actions and include case studies.

• The committee may also set industry wide goals for reducing returns and improving book recovery/recycling based on the findings of the research discussed above.

• The committee may also act as means to facilitate communication between various sectors of the book industry which could lead to new partnerships focused on reducing returns or improving book recovery/recycling.

Oversee national efforts to accomplish goals described above (may include national outreach/stakeholder engagement, coordination of webinars, or assistance in development of book recovery infrastructure.

BIEC Returns and Recovery Chair: Brian Kozlowski, NewPage Corporation