At DK, we care deeply about an ethical supply chain and taking positive actions beyond that of a publisher. Our Green Pledge was launched in early 2020 and pulls together all the important work we do to maintain an ethical supply chain, and the positive steps we are planning for the future. Our work is split into four key areas—materials, environment, safety, and sustainable supply chains—and these will continue to be the focus of our efforts. Our Green Pledge acts as an essential framework for our processes, identifying what we have achieved so far in our sustainability goals and what our next steps will be to maintain an ethical supply chain. To learn more about the pledge, click here.
Commitments: Environment & Sustainabililty
Conversion to Renewable Energy Credits
We successfully made the transition to purchasing Renewable Energy Credits at our distribution center in Westminster, Maryland, offsetting 100% of its electrical usage and making it possible to support clean energy. Both of our warehouses in the United States now purchase wind credits to offset 100% of their power. Our offices in the United Kingdom also completed their transition to renewable energy in October 2018, and our New York City headquarters is on track to reach 100% wind energy credits by the end of 2020.
Reduction of Packaging Waste
We have been making conscious efforts to reduce our packing materials. In our Returns department, we’ve programmed our shipping machine to create custom-sized cartons for returned books that need to be put back in inventory. This machine creates shipping cartons in the exact sizes required to hold the books, which means that we use less corrugate and no plastic bubble packing material to fill in empty spaces. If needed, we use our “ravioli” packaging to create filler, which is 100% curbside recyclable. In general, this machine has helped us greatly reduce our packaging waste.
First Book Publisher to Join REBA
U.S. (2018)
In 2018, we were the first book publisher to sign on to the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA) and the 78th company overall to join. REBA is a membership association for large-scale energy buyers to help identify barriers to clean, renewable energy and develop solutions to meet rapidly growing demand. We believe that, as a publisher, we are able to contribute solutions and information on sustainable printing and paper sourcing, and we are thrilled to learn how we can be more sustainable overall from other companies. To learn more, click here and here.
Company Initiatives for Climate Week NYC
NEW YORK, NY (2019)
Run by the Climate Group, Climate Week NYC is a place for the world to showcase amazing climate action and discuss how to do more. We supported the weeklong event with our Sustainability Subcommittee holding a series of events and learning opportunities for our colleagues. We had the opportunity to participate in our ongoing company-wide sustainability efforts with activities such as a PRH Green Book Club in-house author event, a mug drive to reduce single-use cups, and Green Mindful Moments, which are short themed company posts that provide tips for ways we can exercise more conscious, sustainable practices in our day-to-day work lives.
Commitment to the Paris Agreement
U.S. (2019)
In 2017, we joined industry leaders in signing on to the We Are Still In initiative to express our unwavering support of the Paris Agreement on climate change. In 2019, we confirmed again our support for the Paris Agreement as the U.S. government began the process of withdrawing from it. We joined other global companies to call upon the U.S. government not to withdraw from the agreement. To learn more about the We Are Still In initiative, click here.
Celebrating Earth Day
U.S. (2020)
To celebrate Earth Day in 2019, our Sustainability Subcommittee hosted the first-ever Penguin Random House Green Week. Green Week aims to bring a greater awareness to ways colleagues can live greener, more sustainable lives. The group organized events and activities that were devoted to areas such as environmental conservation, composting and food waste, recycling, and how to get involved and take action locally, as well as programs to help reduce the use of plastic, paper, and energy.
This year, our Sustainability Subcommittee reimagined Green Week for a virtual setting to inspire colleagues to learn more about how to conserve our natural resources, take action locally and at home during this period of social distancing, and provide resources for how to live a greener life. Through an author event and daily green-living tips, our employees directly received actionable resources and information to positively impact our world and environment.
Water-Saving Initiatives During a Drought
CAPE TOWN (2018)
During 2018, the Western Cape of South Africa went through a terrible drought, and the City of Cape Town implemented a “Day Zero” information campaign to brief citizens on the water crisis and to encourage and enforce water-saving initiatives. To do our part, we switched off our water-cooler pumps and provided a number of rationed water bottles for office use. We also installed an upright rainwater-harvesting tank capable of holding up to 200 liters, as well as an additional tray on our roof to collect recycled water to be used for bathroom flushing and the plumbing system. This water-saving initiative helped us significantly reduce our water use, and we remain committed to water-wise practices.
Joint Donation to Help Protect the Amazon
BRAZIL (2019)
On Amazon Day in Brazil, we made a joint donation with our Brazilian publishing group, Companhia das Letras, to the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA), which has worked for 25 years to defend the Amazon and Brazil’s rich socioenvironmental diversity. ISA works with Indigenous communities, quilombolas and extractivists, and historical partners to help protect Indigenous territories and develop sustainable economic alternatives to the exploitation of their lands. We believe that sustainability and environmental protection are a worldwide effort, and we are committed to our ongoing social impact efforts. To learn more about our joint donation, click here.
Transition to LED Lighting
Beginning in 2018, Penguin Random House U.S. started shifting to LED lighting and is now saving more than 2.75 megawatt hours annually, including:
- All floors of our New York City headquarters building (saving more than 743,000 kWh annually)
- All lighting in the Westminster office areas (saving more than 400,000 kWh annually)
- Westminster warehouse areas (saving more than 1 megawatt annually)
- In 2022, we completed installation of LED lighting throughout the Hampstead Distribution Center
- Starting in 2023, we are installing LED lighting in the Crawfordsville distribution center (saving more than 600,000 kWh annually)