UF students and Gainesville residents will have an opportunity to participate in a rally against National Geographic's lack of using recycled paper for its magazine.
The "National Geographic: Practice What You Print" campaign will have its official kickoff Oct. 12, and people will be encouraged to show their support of National Geographic switching to partially recycled paper.
"It's hypocritical for National Geographic to not use recycled paper," said Paige Milch, 19, an elementary education sophomore at UF.
"National Geographic has inspired such environmentalism, yet they are not printing on recycled paper."
Milch organized the National Geographic campaign for the UF campus through her internship with Student Public Interest Research Group.
The campaign will also take place on campuses across the nation.
The kickoff to the campaign will involve stations set up around campus in which students will be able to have their pictures taken within golden frames, similar to the border of the National Geographic magazine.
The words "Nat Geo: Practice What You Print" will adorn the frames so that the message is clearly conveyed.
National Geographic purchases its paper from a mill operated by Verso Paper Corp. in Maine, according to National Geographic.
This mill is one of the largest contributors to the pollution of the Androscoggin River, the inspiration for the Clean Water Act, said Milch.
The National Geographic website confirms that recycled paper is not used in the manufacturing of the magazine save for the heavier paper used for the cover.
Milch said her goal is to have at least 500 students take a picture with the frame and send the photos to National Geographic to illustrate that students would like to see the magazine switch to recycled paper.
Milch said she hopes that if National Geographic switches to using 30 percent post-consumer paper on average, its act will inspire other magazines to go green as well.
She is already about 40 pictures closer to her goal.
