TOG print opt in FAQs

From January 2024, RCOG Fellows, Members, Trainees and Associates can opt in to receiving print copies for the whole of 2024 at a small additional cost. Sign up directly with Sheridan, TOG’s printer, here. You can find the discount code for all 2024 print copies in email communication we shared with our membership in January 2024, or you can contact tog@rcog.org.uk. 

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, TOG’s publisher, Wiley, advised that owing to effects on the supply chain and logistics of distribution, printing and mailing of TOG print copies would need to be suspended until further notice.

The RCOG took the opportunity to carry out a full review of TOG’s format, considering the financial, educational and environmental impact of all options, as well as feedback from the RCOG membership.

From 2019 to 2023, we saw a 99% reduction in the carbon footprint of the production of TOG.

• In 2019, we printed and shipped over 45,000 copies of TOG across the world. The carbon footprint of printing and distributing TOG was 50.8 metric tons of CO2. This is approximately equivalent to charging 6.1 million smartphones.
• From 2020-2023, when print copies were only provided to institutional subscribers, the carbon footprint of producing TOG was 0.41 metric tons of CO2 per year. This is approximately equivalent to charging 50,000 smartphones.

In July 2021, the RCOG committed to two carbon reduction targets and to monitoring progress against them: a 50% CO2e reduction target by 2030, using 2019 as the baseline, and agreeing to the Accounting for Sustainability CFO Net Zero Carbon Commitment declaration.

By offering our membership the option to opt in to the print version from 2024, we estimate we will see around an 80% reduction in TOG’s carbon footprint compared with 2019.

In 2024, we estimate that the carbon footprint of producing TOG will be 10.7 metric tons of CO2. This is approximately equivalent to charging 1.3 million smart phones.

You asked, we’ve listened. In surveys sent out in 2022, 82% of the RCOG membership said that rather than losing a printed copy altogether, you would prefer to have the option of receiving a print copy.

The TOG Editorial Board, the RCOG Education Board, RCOG Council and the Board of Trustees have supported the proposal to move to a model where RCOG members can opt in to receiving print copies of TOG for a small additional cost.

Unfortunately, it is no longer possible for the RCOG to fully subsidise provision of print copies of TOG as a membership benefit, owing to rising costs and supplier restrictions.

We do not want to diminish the value of TOG as part of your membership package. More TOG content is already available online, and the RCOG are committed to investing in developing innovative online content with increased educational value to ensure that TOG remains a sustainable membership benefit into the future.

The cost is set directly by TOG’s printer, Sheridan, depending on your country of residence. RCOG Fellows, Members, Trainees and Associates can request a discount code to receive an 80% discount versus purchasing a personal subscription. Contact tog@rcog.org.uk for a code.

Yes! We are committed to delivering TOG as a journal that benefits the RCOG membership, and we will continue to analyse readership data and ask for your feedback to ensure that TOG’s strategy and roadmap represents the needs of the RCOG membership.