The printing for the final Harry Potter book will not only be the biggest, but also the greenest. For the initial U.S. printing of 12 million copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the publisher, Scholastic, has committed to making sure 65 percent of the 16,700 tons of paper used is FSC-certified, which means the paper comes from forestlands that are managed in a socially and environmentally responsible way…

Totaling nearly 22 million pounds, this is the largest purchase of FSC-certified paper to be used in a single book printing to date. Moreover, all the paper used in the printing will contain at least 30 percent recycled post-consumer waste fiber, with much of that verified by FSC standards as well.

"This is a major milestone for environmental and social responsibility in the publishing industry," said Tensie Whelan, executive director of the Rainforest Alliance. "Using wood products from well-managed forests has a global impact in conserving biodiversity and improving livelihoods in local communities."

The Rainforest Alliance worked with Scholastic to develop its plan to buy FSC-certified paper and will continue helping the company refine its responsible paper procurement policies.

In addition this week, Scholastic announced that the deluxe edition of the book (100,000 copies) will be printed on FSC-certified paper that contains 100 percent post-consumer waste fiber. Wind power will be used to generate the energy needed to manufacture the book jackets.

The vast amount of paper needed to print 12 million copies of the 784-page best-seller makes the choice to invest in environmentally friendly paper good news for whomping willows everywhere.

The seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling’s phenomenally successful series will be released at 12:01 a.m. on July 21, 2007, and undoubtedly become the fastest-selling book in history. (I know I'll be in line at midnight.)