In 1992-93 the most recent year for which figures are available industry profits averaged 5.4 per cent. The magazine industry was particularly hard hit by the recession and the drop in advertising, and since then paper prices have skyrocketed, further eroding slim profit margins. For Canadian magazines, there are three pivotal environmental concerns. Two years ago, there was talk of a levy on producers to pay for the collection of recyclable papers. Today, those papers are in such demand that the price they fetch from recyclers should more than cover the costs of collection.
Market forces appear to be succeeding where bureaucracy failed.
For magazine publishers, it's not a matter of choosing the environment or the bottom line. It's a question of balance. For more detailed information please see Guidelines, Resources and Survey .