Patagonia, Inc. inked a partnership with SURFER Magazine to move the magazine's paper content from virgin to partially recycled fiber. Patagonia will help support the transition by sharing in the increased cost of paper for each issue of the magazine. Beginning with the June 2006 issue, which goes on sale May 1st, SURFER Magazine will be printed on 25% post-consumer waste recycled paper.

“We hope to see recycled paper become the industry standard for surf publications,” noted Rob Bondurant, Executive Vice President of Marketing at Patagonia. “We applaud SURFER for taking this step. When they came to us with this idea, we backed them 100%. Although the initial costs of moving to a more environmentally-sensitive alternative can add up, we’ve been able to prove that every choice that we’ve made for the environment has more than paid itself back” In 1984, Patagonia became the first company in the U.S. to use recycled paper in their mail order catalogs.

SURFER Magazine has the largest worldwide distribution of any surf publication. It is distributed to over 70 countries worldwide, and prints over 480 million pages annually. “The environmental impact will be significant,” explains SURFER publisher, Rick Irons. “We have estimated that by using 25% recycled paper in each issue, every year we’ll save 4,431 trees from being cut down, 13 garbage trucks of solid waste from heading to the dump, and 29 homes could be powered for a year by the energy saved.” With paper costs increasing just under a penny a page, prices are being raised one dollar per issue at newsstands – with SURFER and Patagonia making up the remaining difference.

SURFER Magazine first utilized recycled paper for the November 2005 issue at the request of guest editors Jack Johnson, musician, and Chris Malloy, Patagonia Ambassador. “The response from our readers was overwhelmingly positive,” noted Rick Irons. “No one is more closely tied to the environment than surfers. By choosing recycled paper we are reducing our reader’s burden on the environment and honoring their requests to be more environmentally conscious.”