TODAY'S TURN: Read more smartily

THE ISSUE:
Some magazines never die. I'm not talking about the retreads in your doctor's waiting room or the lining of your birdcage. I'm talking about magazines that get recycled and thus become immortal.

Keeping magazines alive can be a big deal. The September 2007 issue of Vogue weighed in with a whopping 727 pages of advertising. That's not 272 pages. That's 727. Of ads. Since centerfolds aren't getting any smaller, and Fabrizio Gianni ads are immune to logic, we can't count on paper demand to drop anytime soon. But maybe the pulp can be pulped a little smarter.

Here's some fuzzy math...1 ton of high-end virgin magazine paper takes about 15 trees to make. That'll give you about 1,100 magazines. Vogue has a circulation of about 1.2 million per month. That's about 16,000 trees for each issue of an ad-vomiting Vogue. (Of course, that's just a rough estimate and I take no responsbility for anyone protesting the Conde Nast Publications offices based on my calculations.) But they do give you a ballpark reason why recycled magazines can have a huge impact - if they get support from readers.

THE GOOD TURN:
All of these magazines have two things in common:
- Birds and Blooms
- Country
- Every Day with Rachel Ray
- Fast Company
- Inc
- Natural Health
- Nickelodean
- Outside
- Reminisce
- Science
- Shape
- Simple and Delicious
- Taste of Home

1. They're all made with recycled content and/or responsibly sourced virgin fiber.
2. They're all listed among the top 300 magazines in the US.

That means it's possible be both popular and sensible. That's right, recycling magazine paper isn't just for fringe pubs like Mother Jones or Utne Reader.

Still, the industry has a long way to go. The average ranking for the magazines in the above list is #193, and only one recycler is in the top 50 (Shape at #43). And this list accounts for only 4% of the top 300 mags. That means 96% of what you see on the newstand is made with brand new trees. But at least these 13 publications (and about 60 others that didn't make the top 300) give you something to look for next time you're looking for a bathroom companion.

CLICK HERE TO DO THIS GOOD TURN:
See the full list of magazines that use recylced paper.