I was interested to read the reports last week of a ‘major’ magazine recycling initiative in New York. While the pitch is more about getting publishers to use recycled paper, the drive is for consumer engagement by using recycle bins.
In one report I found this:
A big recycling issue is newsstands, where only one of every four magazines is sold.
And I thought a sell through of 40% was bad. At 25% I’d close up shop.
Recycling is a big issue. Most Australian newsagents I know partner with local recycling agencies and ensure that there is little waste from magazines which have not sold.
Some months ago we realised our waste had increased significantly and two giant waste bins were not enough. Instead of getting a third bin we replaced one with a recycle bin that held 50% more.
Not only was this a positive from an environmental point of view, but also from a cost perspective. The cost of waste collection per square metre was reduced by over 70%.