Letter of Commitment to our Paper

At Environmental Design and Construction, we recognize that the protection of our environment and health, the safeguarding of our forests, and the responsible use of natural resources are critically important to our future. Intact forests shelter thousands of species of plants and wildlife, and clean air and clean water are vital to our health. The production of 100 percent virgin fiber paper produced “whitened” with chlorine-based chemicals currently contributes to the loss of endangered and critical forests, the waste of energy and water, and the environmental contamination of paper mill communities. By choosing environmentally responsible papers, we will not only reduce these negative environmental impacts, but we will also be helping to drive innovation in the paper industry.

The production of our magazine requires the use of paper and printing processes and we commit to run our magazine in a sustainable way so that we benefit both our economic and environmental bottom lines. Environmental Design and Construction accepts the responsibility to make paper and production process choices that will help preserve forests and protect air and water quality.

Therefore, Environmental Design and Construction has adopted sustainable procurement policies which apply to our paper purchases in the following ways:

1) Economic and Efficient Fiber Use – We have reduced our overall demand for paper by implementing efficient paper use practices office wide, and are committed to continuing and advancing our standards whenever possible. Our parent company, BNP Media, has instituted a rigorous recycling program. From October to December 2005, our company of only 150 employees recycled 8,165 pounds of paper, saving 69 trees, 12.25 yards of landfill space, 28,578 gallons of water and 3,976 kilowatts of energy.

2) Environmentally Responsible Paper Use – We use 100% recycled paper with a minimum of 60% post-consumer recycled content and are committed to continuing to source paper with the highest environmental standards. We will also begin offering our magazine in a digital version as of April, in order to further reduce our impact on the environment through paper consumption.

3) Clean Production – Our paper is processed chlorine free, eliminating dioxin, a dangerous byproduct of chlorine and chlorine compounds during the paper bleaching process.

4) Market Development – Environmental Design and Construction recognizes the essential role that we can play to help drive the paper and printing market towards more sustainable paper production and use. We have: promoted our policies and practices regularly to our readers, including an editor’s note announcing the positive attributes of our paper, as well as the inclusion of an environmental benefits statement in every issue of our magazine.

Through the choices that we have made, for each issue we are saving 194 fully-grown trees, 90,665 gallons of water, 153 million BTUs of energy, 11,462 pounds of solid waste, and 22, 511 pounds of greenhouse gases. Environmental Design and Construction is proud to take leadership within the magazine industry in order to protect forests, the environment, and human health. We will work to continually improve our practices and help move the market in a way that environmentally responsible papers become the norm, rather than the exception. We urge all of our colleagues and suppliers to adopt similar policies and help make sustainable paper use and production the norm rather than the exception.