The move to paper packaging will cut almost 1 tonne of polythene use every month.

With almost 120,000 print subscribers, BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine is the 3rd largest monthly title for subscriptions, and the biggest monthly subscription title published by Immediate.

The Immediate Media production team has worked with printers Walstead UK and mailing and fulfilment specialist WestColour to deliver a sustainable solution, using FSC-certified paper which is fully recyclable in UK kerbside collections.

Lucy Hall, BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Editor, said: “Posting all our subscriber copies in paperwrap significantly cuts our plastic use, which we know is incredibly important to our readers. This step also reflects the magazine’s ethos of improving the environment and benefitting the world around us. It has been a complex process over the past year to reach this stage, trialling a range of wrapping materials, working with existing and new suppliers, and revising manufacturing processes. But we believe that paper-wrapping is the most viable option for a title of our scale, and is the sustainable outcome that readers expect from our brand.”

Andy Marshall, Immediate Managing Director, with responsibility for the company’s focus on sustainability, added: “We are delighted to be able to announce a sustainable solution for all mailed copies of BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, following on from our switch to paper wrap earlier in the year for BBC Wildlife_ and BBC Countryfile magazines. We will continue to explore and adopt more sustainable solutions for all our brands, as part of our commitment to reduce our overall impact on the environment.”