Proceeds from Eco-Friendly Bible Fund Tree Planting

By Elena Garcia, Christian Post Reporter Monday, March 17, 2008

One of the world's largest Christian publishers announced that for copies of its new eco-friendly Bible sold between St. Patrick's Day and Arbor Day, it will make a donation toward planting a new tree.

Part of the proceeds from the campaign for "The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Daily Bible" – Thomas Nelson, Inc.'s Bible Group's first eco-friendly Scripture – will be donated to the Arbor Day Foundation, the group said this week.

The announcement comes at the heels of Thomas Nelson's effort to completely transition to an eco-friendly Bible production. Last week, the publisher said it was undergoing a three to five-year makeover period, whereby it would phase out its use of synthetic covers and opt for cover made with recycled materials and "green" binding material.

It's the first commitment of its kind from a Bible publisher.

The "Daily Bible" is the first Bible to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. It is made through a FSC-certified production chain where starting from the forest, to the paper manufacturer, and even the printer, all are FSC-certified. The Bible also contains recycled fiber.

"We're happy to encourage retailer and consumer support of environmentally friendly Bibles and books," said Wayne Hastings, the company's Sr. vice president and group publisher, in a statement.

"Although we're currently moving away from the use of synthetic covers, due to production schedules, some products releasing in the coming months may still include these materials," noted Hastings.

"So we wanted to give back to the earth during this transition time. As a publisher, the planting of trees was a perfect fit."

The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Daily Bible, based on the New King James Version, is broken into 365 daily devotions, each a 15-minute reading. Comments by Stanley, the founder of In Touch Ministries, and articles accompany each daily reading to help the reader easily review God's Word throughout the year.

It was released last October. According to Thomas Nelson, customers can expect to find more eco-friendly Bible offerings in stores early next year.

"Part of God's message is to be respectful of the planet and all resources in our care," the publishing group states in their February 2008 environmental policy. "As a leading publishing company, we accept ownership and are taking steps through an aggressive plan to become more environmentally responsible in helping to preserve God's creation."