VIABILITY

In creating What’s Cooking Good Looking, sustainability and like-minded partnerships were, and are, top of mind. Here are some ways the environment and community are put first.

Local riso printing at Outlet PDX 

Woman-owned non-profit, aimed at empowering marginalized voices through print, events, and support initiatives.

“Outlet stands in solidarity with our friends and community, now and always. None of us are free until we’re all free!” - from the Outlet PDX website

“RISO ink is soy and rice oil based, and low VOC. Risographs use very little energy to run and consumables (like ink bottles) are recyclable.” - from the Outlet PDX website

The paper used for riso printing is purchased in Portland, Oregon, from Kelly Spicers - a West Coast paper distributor. Purchasing supplies within the same region, even if not the same state, reduces greenhouse gas emissions by minimizing energy consumption associated with long-distance shipping. Additionally, West Coast businesses are often subject to stricter environmental regulations, which can lead to more sustainable manufacturing and product management practices. You can read about Kelly Spicers’ steps toward reducing their environmental imprint here.

Local printing at Brown Printing Inc

“As a small business, we're only as great as our employees and we recognize that.” - from the Brown Printing website

“We recycle as many production materials as possible (offcuts, printing plates, scrap paper, etc.) and use low- or zero-VOC inks. We are also FSC-certified.” Mary Cavanaugh, Brown Printing

10% recycled paper for all 260 interior pages of the cookbook.

Binding sourced from spiralbiding.com, you can read about their green initiatives here.

Packaging for Online Orders

WCGL LLC sourced.

Ship via UPS Ground and USPS Media Mail. Ground transport produces significantly less greenhouse gas emissions than air freight for the same distance.

Bubble wrap used to protect the books is sourced from Yens Package, a manufacturer-direct small business on the West Coast. It is made from 100% recycled materials.

Boxes used to house individual books are 100% recyclable and reusable.

All bulk orders ship in reused boxes.

Locally Written, Illustrated, and Edited

Hiring local artists strengthens the community's economic, cultural, and social fabric. It keeps money within the local economy, preserves unique community identity and heritage, fosters a vibrant local culture, and can improve the environmental impact of a project.

All contributors to the content in this book were able to work remotely from their own homes. Remote work benefits the environment primarily by reducing greenhouse gas emissions through less energy consumption in large office buildings and fewer commutes.

A Mark of Literary Authenticity: Human Authored

Certifying Human Creativity in an Al World.

“Human Authored is a project of the Authors Guild that allows an author to certify that their book is created by a human. “Human Authored” means that the text of the book was written by a human and not generated by AI, with the exception of minimal, trivial uses, such as AI applications that check spelling and grammar or for brainstorming or research.” - authorsguild.org

Recipe Testing and Photography

Locally sourced ingredients.

Grocery bags purchased by WCGL LLC were donated to local shops for reuse.

The food we tested and photographed was shared with friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Some recipe testers shared food with individuals experiencing houselessness. 

Self-distribution

Retail stores carrying WCGL are handpicked, with the intention of supporting small businesses and communities that believe in artistic integrity, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

WCGL will not be distributed or sold through large conglomerates.

Goals

A community giveback program from future book profits is in the works.

As WCGL LLC grows, it will follow B Corp standards to reach certification.

Currently sourcing local packaging materials for book orders.

Last updated 11/14/2025

If you know of ways WCGL LLC can create even higher standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency, please get in touch via the email link below.