We use responsibly sourced paper

    Our paper and board is FSC-certified, which means that it comes from well-managed forests. It helps to protect habitats, plant more trees, and look after local people and wildlife. Paper choice is critical – 50% of the emissions associated with the production of a book are determined by the paper used.

    Making responsible choices

    Where possible we use low carbon papers and are careful not to use heavier paper than is needed for the cover board and the internal pages. We are also ensuring we collect accurate emissions data from suppliers so we can make informed choices about where we print our books and what we print them on.

    We use vegetable-based inks

    Ink made using oil from vegetables is more environmentally friendly than chemical-based inks, which are made from fossil-fuels that are non-renewable and more harmful to the environment. We use vegetable-based ink in the majority of our books, with some exceptions, for example, short-run digital printing where this is not possible due to the different set up of the machines.

    Sustainable procurement

    We work with EcoVadis who provide a global system for evaluating and measuring our suppliers in the areas of environment, labour & human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.

    What you can do

    Our books are designed to last in a classroom environment, but if a book is no longer of use to you, please donate it to a charity, school library or share with a colleague or friend. If a book is no longer in a usable condition it can be recycled at a recycling centre - you cannot recycle Collins books that are designed to be used in schools at home because the cover has a gloss lamination applied to make it durable enough to withstand classroom use.