A partnership of six newspaper and magazine bodies has been nominated for a prestigious environmental award in recognition of their efforts to reduce waste and increase efficiency in Ireland’s paper supply chain.

The Green Press Partnership (GPP), which represents the main newspaper and magazine groups in Ireland, is one of eight finalists in the Supply Chain category of the Green Awards 2011. The awards are designed to promote sustainability and ‘green best practice’ among organisations and individuals. The Green Supply Chain Award is awarded to companies and services that are assisting their customers in achieving measurable sustainability goals.

The GPP was formed when all the key stakeholders in Ireland’s newspaper and magazine industry joined forces, for the first time ever, to agree a new set of environment standards designed to bring more cooperation and efficiency to the paper supply chain.

Thanks to the efforts of the GPP, Ireland’s rate of newsprint recycling has risen to 79% – among the best in the world – while the ‘wholecopy returns’ initiative with the significant assistance of wholesalers has helped to divert more than 65,000 tonnes of newsprint from landfill since its inception.

Spearheading the formation of the GPP was National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI) which in 2007 appointed its first ever dedicated Environment Officer, Enda Buckley, to improve the industry’s environmental performance. Mr Buckley is also director of the GPP.

Paper supply chain “one of the most complex”

“The journey of a newspaper from editor’s desk into the hands of consumers involves one of the most complex supply chains in the country,” said Enda Buckley. “Our first task was literally to get all the industry players around the same table, and we took it from there.

“In a very short space of time we have made significant progress in key areas like old newspaper and magazine recovery, newsprint recycling, waste minimisation, public awareness and vastly improved environmental standards in the supply chain,” he went on.

“None of that would have been possible without the cooperation and support of the six associations that make up the GPP,” said Mr Buckley. “Getting to the final of the Green Awards is an achievement in itself and a tribute to our partners including NNI, NNI Local & Regional, the RNPAI, Magazines Ireland, the PPA and the NPA.”

The final of the Green Awards 2011 takes place on 14 April in Dublin.
For more information please contact Enda Buckley on (01) 668 9099 or (086) 811 2757.