The Paper Problem

I used to work for a national office supply chain that does not have the word 'office' in it's name. All the time I was there we sold magazines (mostly business/computer titles) and when the new issues came in it was corporate policy that the old, unsold magazines all be thrown away.

Thrown Away.

Not recycled. Not donated to employees, doctor's offices, schools, or charitable organisations. Just thrown away (in a locked bin). This was a few years ago, but with the glacier-speed that corporations catch up with the times, I'm concerned this is still going on.

I'll tell you what prompted this:

I went to Barnes & Noble to buy a couple of specific magazines, since they're the only store nearby that sells a nice selection. They must have thousands. I highly doubt every magazine (or even a few) sell out every month, therefore disposal is an issue. I didn't see any industrial-size recycle bins outside (then again, I didn't look that hard) and I'm sure if they donated magazines I would have heard (lots of my family & friends work in hospitals, doctor's offices and schools; the likely targets).

OK, my point:

I intend to contact B&N, Borders, office supply stores, grocery stores with magazine racks and other places that I think of and find out what they do with the old magazines. I might try to get in touch with a couple of publishers as well. If they are still regularly putting these forests-worth of paper in the landfill, I intend to raise a stink.

It's all well and good for you and your neighbours to recycle, but if giant corporations don't play their part...

To reiterate: I don't KNOW what these companies do yet. I'm going to find out. And then post it here. I hope they all recycle. Or something.