Findings

While this year’s contributions to Bound each looked at individual parts of the publishing industry, several common threads emerged when discussing how the Australian publishing landscape could become more holistically sustainable.

Critical gaps in research

• Lack of context-specific research within the Australian publishing industry.

• Little understanding of where emissions are highest.

• Little understanding of which interventions would be most impactful.

• Two key areas most lacking in research and data are linked: the ‘end-of-life’ stage of the book lifecycle (what happens after purchase), and Scope 3 emissions, which include both indirect and downstream emissions.

• More research into (and metrics on) distribution and the particular challenges posed by the Australian geography is essential

Critical gaps in reporting

• Hard data regarding units printed, distributed, returned and pulped is almost non-existent.

• Insufficient measurement of digital and indirect impacts of the industry—also known as Scope 3 impacts—particularly around consumer use and third-party AI systems.

Understanding the lifecycle of the book is key to identifying emission hotspots

• The production processes and materials used have the greatest environmental impact.

• Paper production and printing accounts for up to 85% of a book’s carbon emissions.

• The pulp and paper industry is in the top five most energy-consuming sectors on an international scale.

• Australia’s expansive geography means that the distribution phase has a relatively high level of environmental impact.

Economic and logistical barriers to change

There are significant practical restraints that hinder the broader implementation of sustainable practices across the Australian publishing industry.

• Cost constraints to implementing eco-conscious practices can be tight—particularly for smaller publishers.

• Alternative publishing models—like print on demand (PoD)—can have a higher financial cost than current industry standards.

• Initiatives for reducing carbon emissions are often driven by desire for cost efficiency, rather than environmental concern.

• Australian reliance on offshore printing hinders local printers’ competitive advantage and compromises their ability to be sustainable.

Misconceptions and underutilisation

Several areas show potential for structural and operational improvements that are currently underutilised:

• Editorial processes and ‘content creation’ are often dismissed as a small component of a book’s carbon footprint, despite little hard data existing.

• Tracking the impact of freelance editors is difficult, resulting in their exclusion from official carbon zero goals.

• PoD has a reputation for lower quality output, but those who use it frequently find the quality is comparable to offset printing and constantly improving.

• While AI is quickly adopted for operational benefit, there is little consideration given to their environmental implications, particularly in an Australian context.

• Active consumers consider sustainability in publishing to be highly important.

• Consumers are often willing to pay a higher price for a sustainably produced product (though this is constrained by cost of living pressures).

Collective recommendations

Whilst certainly not exhaustive, Bound’s 2025 contributions bring together a list of recommendations to present to the Australian publishing community, with the view to make the industry more sustainable. These include:

• Advocating for mandatory reporting for environmental impact across the industry, with particular focus on Scope 3 emissions.

• Investing in research that is specific to the Australian publishing industry, especially for industry life cycle analyses.

• Targeting the parts in the life cycle with the highest emissions (e.g. sale or return, distribution and logistics) and prioritising local supply chains and continuing to explore alternative printing options.

• Establishing a universal sustainability standard, verified by an independent body, to provide transparency to consumers and combat greenwashing.

• Adopting eco-conscious design principles.

• Support industry-wide advocacy and collaboration, such as:

  • Government or industry body financial support for small publishers

  • Clearer guidelines for freelancers

  • Foster interdisciplinary dialogue

  • Adopt hybrid inventory models