The BIC Green Supply Chain Committee has now signed off on its refreshed Green Supply Chain Work plan (updated July 2024). This Work Plan is developed and refreshed annually, in line with BIC’s Green Promise and Agenda, and uses the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals as its frame work. Here is the latest progress report.
1) Designed for Recycling; Part 3 Manufactured Book to End-of-Life
Project start date, duration & commitment
Launched in April 2024, the purpose of Part 3 of this BIC project is to continue and build upon the work already completed in Part: 1 Life Cycle Assessment, and Part 2: Initial Design to Manufactured Book, and complete the journey to the end-of-life of a book. Part 3 will investigate efficiencies for reducing materials waste (e.g. packaging, cartons, shrink wrap etc.) post production. It will also look at packaging materials associated with ‘Returns.’ The project will examine the materials used for packaging, so that books can be supplied with recyclability and waste prevention in mind from post production to end-of-life.
Reporting into the BIC Green Supply Chain Committee, the project group is made up of BIC member volunteers from across the industry and is led by Simon Crump, an independent consultant with 30 years of industry experience.
The initial phase of the project is expected to last 6 months and it is expected that the project group will meet regularly online.
Project Brief
View the full project brief here.
Project Monthly report
2) BIC’s Sustainability and Environmental Data Reporting Project
Part 2 – Priority Reporting Areas
Project start date, duration & commitment
Launched in June 2023, the purpose of this 2-part BIC project is to facilitate and launch BIC’s provision of regular, consistent industry reporting and monitoring of the progress being made with regards to book industry sustainability against agreed targets.
Part 2
The overall purpose of Part 2 of this project will be to agree with key stakeholders what the initial priority areas for reporting and monitoring for the UK book industry are, and to then agree best practice for both the provision, collection, and sharing of this data by BIC for these areas going forwards.
Reporting into the BIC Green Supply Chain Committee, the project group is to be made up of BIC member volunteers from across the industry and is led by Simon Crump, an independent consultant with 28 years of industry experience.
The initial phase of the project is expected to last 6 months and it is expected that the project group will meet regularly online. The second phase of the project would then follow on from the first.
Project brief
More information can be found in the Project brief.
Project monthly report
3) Sustainability 101 Guides
Project start date, duration & commitment
Launched in July 2024, the purpose of this BIC project is to provide the reader with simple guides to the various terms, regulations, and reporting requirements, as an example, that are used in the book industry supply chain. It has become apparent that there are still people and organisations who do not fully understand the requirements of sustainability and all it means for their organisations. This project aims to help with this issue.
Reporting into the BIC Green Supply Chain Committee, the project group is made up of BIC member volunteers from across the industry and is led by Simon Crump, an independent consultant with 30 years of industry experience.
The project is expected to last approximately 12 weeks with most of the work being carried out by the project consultant with help from a select group of BIC members.
Please view the guides that are currently published.