Our monthly mag is 100% plastic free!

Find out how we banished plastic from our monthly issues...

At Nat Geo Kids UK, we want to help make a difference in the world. We know that many of our nature-loving readers are passionate about conservation, sustainability and animals – and so are we! That’s why we’re so excited to share that every monthly issue of Nat Geo Kids Magazine is now 100% plastic free. Yay!

But how does this affect your favourite magazine? And why did we decide to go plastic free? Let’s find out…

What does being ‘plastic free’ mean?

We’re committed to using sustainable practices in everything we do, to help support a circular economy. Over the years, we started printing the magazines on recycled paper, and changing our packaging to cut down on plastic pollution – but we knew there was more work to be done.

Lots of kids’ magazines come with plastic toys, wrapping and tape that all finds its way to the bin, where it can end up hurting wildlife and damaging the environment. But by getting rid of all these extras, or swapping them for more sustainable alternatives, we can stop that from happening!

That’s why, when you now buy a monthly issue of Nat Geo Kids magazine, you’ll find that it’s 100% plastic-free! And when we say “plastic free,” we mean it…

– We removed all plastic packaging and replaced it with a recycled paper envelope.

– We ditched plastic gifts and replaced them with fun gifts made from paper and card.

– We switched from a plastic-coated glossy cover on our monthly magazines to 100% recycled paper.

– In stores, we sell our monthly magazines in envelopes so we don’t have to stick gifts to them with tape.

The best part? The magazine is still just as great on the inside! Each issue is packed full of fascinating features and facts, beautiful posters and brain-teasing puzzles. All the same fun, educational and inspirational content with a much smaller impact on the planet. What’s not to like?!

Has it made a difference?

Every year, we make over 400,000 copies of National Geographic Kids magazine, for sale in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. In the past, most of these magazines had a plastic gift and glossy cover… which added up to a lot of plastic!

But since making the switch to 100% plastic free packaging and gifts, we’ve saved over 100,000 metres of tape and 1.6 million plastic bags every year! Plus, we’ve kept 729,000 plastic toys from circulation, replacing them with recyclable paper and card ones.

We believe these magazine changes are a great example of how we can make an impact on our planet by doing more with less. We hope you’re enjoying reading the new look Nat Geo Kids magazine as much as we love putting it together!