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18-19 SB1009 BBC Leaders 18/9/09 11:44 am Page 18
LEADERS
BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide, the corporation’s commercial arm, has taken its environmental
impacts seriously for over a decade. And its headquarters and ethical policy are
impressive. But, as Tom Idle hears, there’s still room for improvement
AUNTIE’S
VISION
A
t the time of writing, Mark Thompson, to 50,000 tonnes of paper a year in the process,
the BBC’s director-general is toying so understandably, the impact of its paper con-
with the idea of the part-privatisation of sumption was the first issue to be addressed.
the corporation’s lucrative commercial arm, The company became a founding member of
BBC Worldwide, as part of a wide-ranging the WWF’s Forest Trade Network (FTN) in

We are engaging with the waste
chain and support information
campaigns. We also use an
oxy-biodegradable wrap to
review. “One of the things we should look at is 1995 and, four years later, BBC Worldwide
whether 100% ownership of Worldwide is became the first publisher in the world to pub-
essential going forward,” he said. If it happens, lish a magazine on Forest Stewardship Council
it would be the first major privatisation in years (FSC)-certified paper. That magazine was
and comes on the back of pressure for the BBC Worldlife, a rather specialist title with a small

distribute the magazines
Post-consumer waste is being dealt with in a
campaign with Defra to try to recover 70% of
to share the benefits of its guaranteed licence fee. circulation compared with the other BBC titles magazine waste by 2013. “We are engaging with
Whatever happens, there’s no denying that and the real goal was to widen the scope of FSC the waste chain, support information campaigns
BBC Worldwide is an attrac- paper use to include all magazines in the com- and giving our readers information in the
tive proposition; it pany. “At the time we became founding mem- magazine,” explains David. “We also use an
turns over £1B a year, bers of the FTN, there was no FSC paper, so we oxy-biodegradable wrap to distribute the maga-
employs 2,000 staff took to lobbying suppliers for it,” says David. zines in the post to subscribers. We make no
and sells BBC-brand- In 2000, the company’s biggest-selling claims about it, though, and we are working
ed magazines, toys magazine, Radio Times, carried the FSC for the with Greenpeace to develop something better.”
and DVDs, associated first time and today all of the magazines are What about the fashion for wrapping
with the likes of Top printed on the sustainably-sourced paper. magazines in fancy plastic packaging on the
Gear, Doctor Who And it was the same journey for the compa- shelves, I ask David. Isn’t that just adding to the
and Teletubbies. Its ny’s book division. In 2004, it published the waste problem? “Well, they do hold supple-
home, at the Media world’s first book to carry the FSC mark and ments and free gifts. And we’ve got to sell the
Centre at the BBC’s when the company bought Lonely Planet in magazines – otherwise there’s no point.”
White City estate in 2007, it made sure all its books moved to FSC, The business has been taking its environmen-
west London, is also despite being printed in China. “We are doing it tal impacts seriously for more than ten years.
home to the because it’s the right thing to do,” says David. And because it sells a lot of toys, either as stand-
television studios for As a publisher, waste comes with the territo- alone products or as freebies given away with
Panorama, The One Show and ry, especially if you print twice as many maga- children’s magazines, it is also very proud of its
Watchdog. And it’s an excitingly creative zines as you sell, as BBC Worldwide does. strict ethical sourcing policy ensuring a high
environment that masks the big-business nature Despite placing a greater emphasis on encourag- standard of trade practices among its suppliers
of the company, which is detached from the ing readers to take out subscriptions, there is no and manufacturing partners, many of which are
public-service division. It also has a big environ- getting away from the fact that a lot of maga- in China and India.
mental impact, but one that it is making every zines go unsold, unread and thrown in the bin. Its environmental policy is now being prop-
effort to reduce, as I found out by meeting One hundred per cent of all of the BBC’s unsold erly formulated also, following some work with
David Halford, the company’s head of ethical magazines are sent to recycling companies such Arup that culminated in the establishment of
sourcing and environment policy. as SCA in Aylesford, Kent, which 150 action points. Its envi-
BBC Worldwide began its environmental uses the near-virgin ronmental management
journey in 1994, when its managing director of fibres of the maga- work will also be offi-
the magazines division – a “hippy”, according zine stock to man- cially recognised with
to David – demanded the environment was ufacture paper it ISO 14001 accredita-
taken into consideration across the business. It sells for newspa- tion, due next
publishes more than 30 magazines and uses 40 per print. Spring. “ISO 14001
18 October 2009 ❘ Sustainable Business
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