Departures: Brochure waste
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.OF THE 120 million holiday brochures produced every year by tour operators for distribution through travel agencies, more than a third are thrown away unread, a report claims.
The environmental tourism consultant Green Flag International says that up to 48 million brochures, costing about pounds 35.5m, are wasted. 'If each brochure weighs about 500gm, this would be approximately 24,000 tonnes of brochures, or the product of over 400,000 trees,' it says.
Green Flag's research indicates that fewer than a fifth of travel agencies pass surplus brochures on to a recycling company. Its report says operators are 'throwing their money into the rubbish bin in a search for the 'extra booking' by overproducing into a saturated market'.
The bigger tour operators say they have to distribute 20 brochures for every booking - small operators have a 'conversion ratio' of one booking for every 32. 'The most worrying aspect of the brochure industry is the continuing treatment of its product as a 'free good' . . . . Where else but in a travel agents could you walk out with as much as pounds 20-worth of publications free of charge? In reality . . . there is a cost and this must be met by the person who eventually books a holiday.'
'Review of the Environmental Impact of the Travel Brochure Industry', price pounds 15: Green Flag International, PO Box 396, Linton, Cambridge CB1 6UL (0223 893587).
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments