The Sustainable Photobook Publishing (SPP) network is a group of photographers, publishers, academics and writers who discuss and share knowledge on issues around environmentally conscious approaches to photobook publishing in printed form. All of us have different starting points and ideas of what constitutes a sustainable practice.  Through  ongoing conversations, we spark new ways of thinking, and develop resources that support and actively encourage individual practitioners in their search for a more environmentally conscious approach to photobook publishing.

Our values and approach

  • Working together - valuing cultural diversity, autonomy, transparency, accountability, and mutual trust
  • De-mystifying materials and processes - shedding light on supply chains and making processes
  • Creating a safe space for discussion - encouraging broad reaching, reflective, critical and open ended conversations
  • Identifying and discussing the challenges - encouraging the sharing of lessons learned, and opportunities for change
  • Increasing access to knowledge - developing open source resources for anyone and everyone to access
  • Inspiring creative approaches - uncovering and sharing examples of sustainable practices
  • Building networks - connecting local, national and international networks

The network was formed in 2021 by Tamsin Green.

CONTRIBUTORS: Amelie Schuele, Bella Okuya, Catriona Gourlay, Daria Tuminas, David O'Mara, Dolly Meieran, Ed Sykes, Eliza Kavanagh, Emily Macaulay, Emma Lambert, Eugenie Shinkle, Gavan Goulder, Gin Rimmington Jones, Gisela Torres, Hannah Fletcher, Harry Gammer-Flitcroft, Iana Mizguina, Jake Green, João Pedro Lima, Jennifer Reeves, Jesse Alexander, John Angerson, Lewis Chaplin, Magdalena Wysocka, Marc Fischer, Maren Krings, Mark Phillips, Martin Bollati, Martin Usbourne, Mathieu Asselin, Matt Ford, Nishant Shukla, Paul Hewitt, Paul John, Oliver Raymond-Barker, Rachel Arthur, Rebecca Lardeur, Ricardo Báez, Roelof Bakker, Sandra Davison, Sarah Boris, Sayako Sugawara, Sergio Valenzuela Escobedo, Stewart Hardie, Tamsin Green, Tiffany Jones, Tim Clark, Victoria Forrest, Wendy Aldiss

If you would like to join the network (mailing list, SLACK workspace) or just get in touch about sustainability please drop us a message here.

How many books are being made? Does the printer have eco certifications? (B Corp, EMAS, FSC) And what do these mean? What chemicals are used in the printing process? Are plant and/ or water based inks available? What is the paper made of? Are these materials sustainably sourced?  What is the paper size? Can the book size be optimised to minimise waste? Are there plant based glues available? What is the intended design life of the book? Are the materials recyclable? Can the paper be de-inked for recycling? If plates are used in the printing process, can they be recycled/ re-used? Can the use of single-use plastic be minimised or avoided?

Using Format