The Greening of Russian Life

Our company was founded in 1990 on the principle that paying attention to international issues matters. While U.S.-Russian relations and the history and society of the world’s largest country are important, there is no larger international issue than the health of this planet. We believe that all magazines – not just those focused on environmental issues – should be published with as small an environmental impact (“footprint”) as possible.

Last year, we began printing Russian Life on 10% Post Consumer Recycled (PCR) content paper, despite a significant cost premium. 

In July of this year, we moved Russian Life to a new magazine printer. A huge factor in our decision-making was that printer’s (Ovid Bell Press, in Fulton, MO —founded 1924) commitment to green publishing. As a result, the inside pages of this magazine are now printed on 100% coated PCR paper (produced in Denmark, at a plant fueled by biomass). This is not the glossy paper you may be used to, but we have found it has excellent photo reproduction quality, and, because it is a matte stock, can be far easier to read. The cover is printed on 10% PCR stock. The upshot is that we will, each year, save 532 trees, 318 million BTUs of energy, and halve our contribution to greenhouse gases and solid waste production (you can see a full environmental statement on our website).