PUBLISHER Dorling Kindersley promises to turn over a new leaf this week, launching what it claims to be the greenest book range on the market.

Its Made With Care series has no book jacket, uses 100% recycled card and is printed with vegetable inks on paper sourced from sustainable forests.

The four titles include a children’s encyclopedia of the environment written by adventurer David de Rothschild and a book on recycling for children.

Manufacturing the books will cost the publisher twice the usual price, largely because DK, part of the Penguin Group, is printing it in Europe instead of the Far East to cut down on unnecessary travel.

“We are launching the range at a bit of a loss leader to see how it goes,” said Gary June, DK’s chief executive.

“We are hoping to pass some of the cost on because people will pay for ethical goods. The demand is there.”

Most publishers are trying to go green. Hachette Livre’s Little, Brown imprint already uses nothing but Forest Stewardship Council-accredited paper, whereby a tree is planted for every one used. However, demand is outstripping supply.

June also aims to produce fewer books, cutting down on the number of unsold copies that are pulped.

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