Book publishers Simon & Schuster, Inc. has announced it will increase the recycled content of books printed and bound in the U.S. from 10% to 15%:

announced today a new environmental initiative and paper policy that will dramatically increase the amount of recycled fiber in the paper used to manufacture its books. For books printed and bound in the U.S., the company plans to increase to 25% or more the level of recycled fiber in its purchased paper by 2012, a 150% increase from a current 10% baseline level.

Simon & Schuster purchases approximately 70,000 tons of paper annually, with 70% of that paper containing some recycled fiber content. At current production levels, the shift to 25% recycled fiber will result in the saving of approximately 483,000 trees annually and a reduction of nearly 85 million pounds in greenhouse gases -- equivalent to pulling 7,600 cars off the road each year. (savings based on the Environmental Defense Paper Calculator)

Simon & Schuster will endeavor to eliminate the use of paper that may contain fiber from endangered and old-growth forest areas. It has set a goal that by 2012 at least 10% percent of its purchased paper will derive from forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). While there are many widely recognized standards of forestry management, FSC is considered by environmental advocacy groups to be the most stringent of sustainable forestry management certifications. Simon & Schuster is believed to be the first major trade publisher to include an FSC target in its environmental policy.