July 11, 2003

Newsprint Environmental Waste

ROBBINS-SCE Research
(604) 942-3757

For immediate Release:

Coquitlam/Okanagan/Victoria A survey of 2,240 respondents throughout the north and interior of the province, the lower mainland, and Vancouver Island. Respondents were asked questions relating to the environment, their newspaper readership, and social cost accounting. This survey took place between June 24 and July 7, 2003. It features an error rate of 3.5%, 19 times out of 20. This survey was paid for in part by Reform BC.

Question #1
As an issue, how important is the protection of the environment to you?

Very Important        34%
Important                45%
Slightly Important    19%
It’s not important     02%

Question #2
Do you receive at least one FREE community newspaper to your residence at least once per week?

Yes       82%
No        18%

Question #3
Do you read or otherwise scan at least some articles in your FREE community newspaper(s).

Yes     34%*

*This number is based on the number of individual FREE newspapers multiplied by the number of times that newspaper is delivered in an area each week.

For example if one independent newspaper delivered two papers a week and the respondent read both papers that would account for 100% as opposed to a respondent who read the paper only once a week which would account for 50%.

If two individual newspapers were published in an area twice per week, the total number of papers would be four. If respondents read only one of the four papers in a week the result would be 25% conversely if all four papers were read it would account for 100% etc.

Question #4
Do you regularly read the flyers inserted in your FREE community newspaper?

Yes      23%
No        77%

Question #5
Is it you regular custom to transfer ALL of the FREE community newspaper you receive directly to your recycling bin or container without reading either the paper or the flyer inserts?

Yes      23%
No        77%

Question #6
Would you be willing to pay a ‘reasonable’ monthly subscription amount for the community newspaper you currently receive FREE of charge?

Yes         23%
No          41%
Maybe     36%

Over 25,000,000,000 (25 billion) pages of newspaper print and flyer inserts are distributed FREE to homes and businesses each year. Homeowners are taxed approximately $60,000,000 (60 million) in recycling fees. None of which is accounted towards damage to the environment.

Question #7
In your opinion, should the BC provincial government assess an environmental tax against all newspapers published based on audited circulation?

Yes       79%
No        21%

Commentary:

Currently homeowners are subsidizing community newspapers throughout the province of British Columbia through the taxation of garbage collection and recycling. A significant percentage of respondents in this survey do not read or otherwise utilize the FREE newspapers, and literally all respondents who receive a newspaper believe that all publishers should pay an environmental tax.

We estimate that homeowners have provided indirect subsidies in the last ten years of some $600,000,000 (600 million) to newspaper publishers in the province of BC. This indirect subsidy does not include any additional costs relating to damage to the environment.

There is obviously a demand for these community newspapers, and many readers are willing to pay a fee for the papers. Many respondents are avid readers of community newspapers and “look forward to receiving their paper”. Others find the papers an annoyance or a nuisance.

Glen Robbins
(604) 942-3757

REFORM BC COMMENTARY

There appears to be an attempt by some of the newsprint industry to blend some 35% of recycled newsprint with new paper. However not all publishers in BC do so.

In buying a newspaper from the store I was amazed that, although GST was collected on behalf of Ottawa, newspapers, a non-food item, was not taxed the 7.5% provincial tax.

Reform BC suggests that all publishers in BC be assessed an environmental tax and credited back a percentage of tax directly in proportion to the percentage of recycled newsprint used in their newspaper.

For More Information contact:

Ron Gamble, Leader
PO Box 466, Surrey Main Surrey, BC V3T 5B7
Phone: 604-980-7779
E-mail: info@reformbc.net
Web site: www.reformbc.net