NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholastic Inc., the global children's publishing, education and media company, today announced that it has surpassed its company-wide goal of strengthening its sustainable paper procurement practices and increasing the percentage of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified paper purchased by the company.  

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In January of 2008, Scholastic announced goals for 2012 to increase the amount of FSC-certified paper purchased for its publications to 30% and the use of recycled paper to 25%, of which 75% would be post-consumer waste.  Having made significant gains toward the FSC goal between 2008 and 2011, Scholastic increased its goal for 2012 from 30% to 35% of all paper purchased to be FSC-certified. In 2012, 68.2% of the paper purchased was FSC-certified -- nearly double the increased goal.

"Once again Scholastic had only themselves to outdo, and they succeeded," said Corey Brinkema, President of the Forest Stewardship Council U.S. "Now with more than 2/3 of their paper from FSC-certified sources, Scholastic continues to prove that forest stewardship and running a successful publishing enterprise can and should go hand in hand."

"Scholastic continues to be a top environmental leader within the book industry," said Todd Pollak, Program Manager, Green Press Initiative. "The company has achieved meaningful increases in recycled and FSC paper, and reduced impacts on endangered forests. We commend their ongoing efforts to lead the publishing industry toward more sustainable paper options."

In 2012, Scholastic purchased 75,837.1 tons of paper of which 51,743 tons, or 68.2%, was FSC-certified, up from 3.6% in 2007. In addition, 13,745 tons, or 18.2%, of the fiber used to produce the paper was recovered waste paper, up from 13.5% in 2007, and of that amount, 11,299 tons, or 82.2%, was produced from PCW fiber, up from 80.7% in 2007.

In an effort to continue its commitment to sustainable paper procurement practices, Scholastic will extend to 2015 its goal to increase the use of recycled paper to 25%. The gradual increase in recycled content purchased is the result of a continued decrease in the average amount of recycled fiber used by the manufacturers of printing and writing recycled paper grades. Scholastic is working to find alternative ways to make up the additional recycled fiber. The company plans to take the following steps to achieve this goal:

• In mid-2012, Scholastic was able to increase the recycled content in some of its paper grades after years of negotiation with suppliers. The company will continue negotiating with paper suppliers to increase their recycled content.
• With limited supply of recycled material available to paper suppliers, Scholastic will label more recyclable products with the "Please Recycle" logo, encouraging customers to dispose of materials responsibly.
• Scholastic will continue to work with the Green Press Initiative to find ways to make more recycled paper available to publishers.

"We are very proud to announce that we achieved nearly double the goal for FSC-certified paper in 2012, and we remain committed to continuing work toward our goal for recycled paper," said Maureen O'Connell, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer of Scholastic. "As a company that serves young people with educational and entertaining books and learning materials, we remain committed to making sure our children also have a healthy environment in which to live and grow."

About ScholasticScholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology and related services and children's media. Scholastic creates quality books and ebooks, print and technology-based learning materials and programs, magazines, multi-media and other products that help children learn both at school and at home.  The Company distributes its products and services worldwide through a variety of channels, including school-based book clubs and book fairs, retail stores, schools, libraries, on-air, and online at www.scholastic.com.

SOURCE Scholastic Inc.

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