Minimising waste is one of the ways the Council achieves its objective of publishing NSWLR as inexpensively as possible. Waste minimisation is also an environmental sustainability strategy. For these two reasons it is an important principle in the management of Council operations.
Environmental responsibility strategies implemented by the Council office include:
- If office documents must be printed, the printing is done on recycled paper that meets the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) standard, double-sided where feasible.
- Energy efficiency is a purchasing criterion for office equipment. Preference is given to providers who recover materials from obsolete equipment.
- The office uses 100% accredited green electricity. Office equipment is set to save power when standing by and turned off when not in use.
- Materials such as CDs, tapes, toner cartridges and office paper are re-used or collected for recycling.
- Unnecessary clutter, such as unwanted gifts from stationery suppliers, old card index boxes and excess cabling left by the last occupants of the office, is freecycled for re-use by others.
- Where possible, production work is transmitted by email. Delivery trips, e.g. batches of cases being sent to or from the typesetter, are combined and minimised. Office errands are usually done on foot, by bicycle or by public transport.
- NSWLR parts and bound volumes are printed in Australia by Ligare, a leader in environmentally responsible book printing, using environmentally responsible processes to print on paper made in Australia from forests that are certified by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC standard). Using Australian suppliers and materials means reducing the greenhouse gas emissions generated through transport ("carbon miles").
- All soft and hard cover books published by the Council maintain the highest possible production value so that they can be used and re-used many times over many years. (The buckram used on the hard covers of volumes is even cockroach resistant!)