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HarperCollins UK has moved its paperbacks to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accredited paper, which means more than half of its stock is now printed on environmentally friendly material.

The first mass-market paperback to be printed FSC is The Loner by Josephine Cox, followed by the entire paperback trade list in October.

This latest move increases the total percentage of books printed on FSC and recycled paper to 55%, which includes hardbacks, trade paperbacks and selected four-colour titles.

HarperCollins uses Bowater bulky news paper from Canada and Munken print white from the Arctic Munken paper mill in Sweden for its monochrome needs. Paper for its four-colour pages is Gardamatt from the Garda mill in Italy.

The books are printed in the UK by Bookmarque, Butler & Tanner, Clays and Martins, and in Italy by LEGO and Rotolitolombardo. Those printed in Italy are imported by container ship, which was chosen as being the most environmentally friendly means.

A spokesperson for the company told printweek.com the green initiative focussed on "fibre sources, energy sources, water effluence, CO2 emissions, waste products and habitat disturbance".

She claimed that even though 55% environmentally friend paper stock puts the company ahead of its competitors it is looking to push this even further, initially focussing its efforts in its Asia operations.

HarperCollins has also formed a partnership with the FSC association to help raise consumer awareness of environmentally friendly paper, under which it will display an FSC logo on the back cover of all certified titles.

It said it would continue to work with the body to explore ways of extending what it described as "a unique partnership".

HarperCollins chief executive and publisher Victoria Barnsley said: "We carried out a survey earlier this year that revealed 94% of UK book buyers worry about what's happening to the environment, and 75% think more books should be printed on environmentally friendly paper.

"We want to do everything we can to help inform consumers about the benefits of using FSC paper and to let them know that their choice can help the environment."

HarperCollins moved to electricity from 100% renewable sources in July this year. It also moved literary imprint Fourth Estate over to quality recycled paper made from 100% post-consumer waste in July.

The publisher said it is on track to be carbon-neutral by the end of 2007.