Oekom publisher – the German pioneer for eco printing
The publishing house for ecological communication, or oekom for short, is committed to the topics of ecology, climate protection, biodiversity, ecological lifestyle, post-growth economy, agricultural turnaround and sustainability. At oekom, ecology and sustainability are more than letters printed in black and white; they are the foundation of the corporate philosophy and everyday life in the publishing company.
Eco books and their advantages
eBooks are considered as books of the future. An ebook reader stores hundreds of electronic books in a small space, fits in any pocket, can be taken anywhere and logically does not use paper. So much for the benefits. If the e-book reader is operated with electricity from conventional energy sources, its environmental impact decreases. Unfair obtained materials and conventional production also deteriorate the ecological footprint of the electronic reading devices. And despite the function for making notes of an e-book reader, an electronic textbook lacks haptics to work on the content.
The printed specialised literature clearly scores with space for handwritten notes and a pleasant feel. Different coloured marks and notes help working on a specialist book. If you flip through the book, you can quickly find and see the marks. Any ecological detail improves the ecological balance of sustainably printed books. Resource efficiency is a top priority at oekom. The publishing house goes the following green paths for the printing process:
Specialised literature on recycled paper
It is printed on recycled paper that is certified with the Blue Angel. These paper fibres are made from 100% waste paper and do not contain any chemicals that are harmful to health. If the desired paper is not available in recycled quality, oekom uses paper from new fibres that meets the requirements for sustainable, responsible forest management in accordance with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
Environmentally friendly working methods
The use of green electricity, the use of mineral oil-free printing inks and waste management are part of oekom‘s sustainable catalogue of measures. This also applies to the printers, some of which are even certified with the Blue Angel for printed material and thus meet the highest environmental standards in Germany.
Regionality
Sustainability instead of low-wage country – against this background, oekom prints all publications in Germany. So there are no massive emissions due to long transport routes. This does not only protect the climate, but also promotes the regional economy.
Publications without a protective foil
Plastic as the evil of modern times is avoided by oekom by doing without shrink-wrap for all paperback editions. That saves about half a ton of plastic a year.
Sustainability in everyday office life
Certified green electricity based on renewable energies supplies the oekom publishing rooms. Purchased electrical appliances are designed for durability and energy efficiency. The somewhat higher purchase costs are amortised by the long service life. The websites are hosted by a provider that pays attention to ecological and socially sustainable standards.
Not only the publications from the oekom publisher present sustainable agriculture, also in everyday office life the food supply of coffee, tea, juice, fruits and vegetables are from certified organic farming and fair trade.
The publishing house is centrally located in Munich and thus offers an optimal connection to public transport and the city's cycle path network. But that is not the only reason why almost all oekom employees use public transport or the bicycle to get to work: Sustainable mobility is a matter of course for most people. This, the publisher promoted in 2019 with a free bike check and repair service. For longer business trips the train is used.
The office supplies at oekom come from resource-saving production, are packaged sparingly and are recyclable. This saves a lot of plastic waste in everyday office life. As far as possible, the office furniture is made of wood and from local production.
Yoga, collaborative cooking and eating, flexible working time models, professional development and a employee organization contribute to a pleasant working atmosphere at oekom. Healthy and satisfied employees strengthen the team spirit – admittedly a soft sustainability criterion, but an important one!
Sustainable commitment by oekom publishing house
In order to keep the ecological footprint as low as possible, from the very beginning oekom has oriented itself substantially and productional to the principles of sustainability. In the project "Sustainable Publishing – New Environmental Standards for the Publishing Sector", branch-specific standards were developed that optimise the life cycle assessment of publishing along the entire production chain – from paper production to printing inks to distribution. Based on the results of this project, the new eco-label Blue Angel for printed materials was created. This is awarded to printers that produce low-emission and resource-saving print products.
The oekom Verlag is involved in numerous initiatives and working groups that are committed to the topics of sustainable management, biodiversity and environmental education. These include the enterprise initiative Biodiversity in Good Company, Enterpreneurs for Future, the Climate Alliance and many more. To promote biodiversity, oekom finances a structurally rich orchard and a lively wildflower meadow at the Boarhof.
Climate-neutral publisher
Despite all the commitment to climate-friendly production, not all emissions in the context of printing can be avoided. For the annual certification by ClimatePartner as a climate-neutral publisher, all greenhouse gas emissions caused are balanced by investing in a climate protection project that also protects biodiversity.
Green ideas and alternative concepts
What was established in 1989 with an office for ecology & communication is now a sustainable publisher that illuminates the area of tension between humans and the environment in professional publications. The reader is entertained by factful specialist books and entertaining non-fiction books. Cookbooks inspire amateuer chefs to handle food in a conscious manner. Hobby gardeners receive valuable tips for garden design with historical plants and crops and for agriculture in the smallest space, such as in the allotment. Travel books are aimed at tourists who want to travel environmentally conscious. With beautiful illustrations and child-friendly texts children's books are dedicated to the topics of the environment, nature, climate change and plastic in the ocean.
Alternative housing concepts, sustainable mobility for a car-free life, plastic-free in everyday life, alternative travelling – all of these are sustainable topics published by oekom. Whatever you want to know about climate change, climate protection, globalization, degrowth, post-growth, the financial crisis, ethics, sustainability and which ways lead to it – you can find the substantiated eco books from oekom in the Greenpicks bookcase.
Of course, many oekom publications are also available as e-books – so readers can choose which format suits them better – digitally or as a sustainably printed book.