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Zinio: Helping Make Your Magazine Subscriptions Sustainable

women's health magazineLooking for a way to reduce your paper waste but keep your favorite magazines? Zinio may be a solution for you. It’s a digital magazine service that lets you view your magazines on your computer instead of receiving them in print format.

Zinio gives you instant access to the magazines that you have purchased through their website in one of two ways.

The first way is just click and read. There is no software to download or install. You view the magazine from their website from a library of magazines that you have set up. To view the magazines, you need to be connected to the Internet.

The second way is to download and install the Zinio Reader and copy the magazines onto your computer. Then you can download the magazines onto your computer and have them available anytime whether you’re connected to the Internet or not.

We get three magazines delivered to our house, so I decided to see if they are available on Zinio. Although Zinio has a wide variety of popular magazines, only one of the three we receive are available. Still, I decided to give this digital magazine service a shot by opening up one of their free magazine samples. I got quick access to a free sample of Women’s Health.

Here’s what I liked.

  • The magazine was looked just like the print magazine.
  • The pages were interactive – I could click on an article in the tabel of contents and it would take me directly to it. Can’t do that in a print magazine.
  • It certainly is more sustainable than getting a print version.
  • I wouldn’t feel guilty if I wanted to add a new magazine to my reading list. We keep it at three subscriptions in the house for a reason.
  • You can buy a subscription or a single issue.

Here’s what I didn’t like.

  • Personally, I hate reading off the computer. I like paper in my hand when I’m reading.
  • I have a laptop with a fairly small screen. I had to increase the size of the magazine to 200% and then scroll up and down using the scroll bar online to read. It was not convenient.
  • I checked out the subscription price of the one magazine that I receive that they carry, and it’s more expensive than I’m paying now. Of course, I am willing to pay a little more for sustainability, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

The things that I didn’t like were more personal preferences than problems with the service. I recommend that you check Zinio out and test it yourself if you’d like to help control your paper waste.

Some of the more popular magazines that Zinio offers in digital format are: Cosmopolitan, PC World, Esquire, TV Guide and Bazaar. There is an easy search function to find the magazines you are looking for.

Image from Zinio Website

Read more about paper waste

Towards a Paperless Office

Recycling Misconceptions, Part Duex: “Sure, I Recycle Paper.”

Eco Libris: Paper Trails: ‘From Trees to Trash – The True Cost of Paper’

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