Parents are often the biggest converts to the green movement and those parents often become vigilant about going green. Often aiding them in their quest are their children and manufacturers who cater to this market.

Now the nations largest publisher and distributor of children’s books has joined the movement. Scholastic, announced recently that the company is further strengthening its sustainable paper procurement practices. Their goal:

…to increase its publication paper purchase of FSC-certified paper to 30% and its use of recycled paper to 25%, of which 75% will be post-consumer waste.

Good, since Scholastic is omnipresent in our schools with their book fairs, take home catalogs and in-school advertising. I don’t always agree with the quality of their offerings and certainly cringe at the overt commercialism they perpetuate, especially considering their target market, kids but, I’m glad they are on board the green movement.

Well.

Scholastic worked together with the Rainforest Alliance, the Green Press Initiative and other environmental organizations to set these goals, which Scholastic says are “industry-leading goals”.

Are they?

Over at Eco-Libris, they did a comparison of Scholastic’s goals with other major publishers, and concluded, actually, yes. Scholastics goals are aggressive and, to some extent, industry leading.

Moving to paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as from forests that are managed for sustainability ifs an admirable goal. Moving more aggressively toward use of recycled paper is an even better one.

As recycled paper use is the more important of the two goals I hope to see Scholastic continue to strengthen their commitment to this publishing strategy and their commitment to a new generation of green consumers.