Being a responsible consumer means not just recycling and reusing, it means thinking green when a purchase is made. Did you know that the Environmental Protection Agency defines recycled paper as paper manufactured with only 30% post consumer waste (PCW)? Many retailers sell paper as “recycled” when it only meets this low percentage. Paper should exceed the EPA standards to be considered truly recycled. When shopping for environmental paper look for 100% post consumer recycled fibers and the Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) logo from the Chlorine Free Products Association. Other green certifications include Environmental Choice, EcoLogo, and FSC Recycled. Seek out these higher standards to make conscientious choices when purchasing environmental paper.
The quality of recycled paper has significantly improved through the years, and is now available in high grades, equaling the quality of virgin tree paper. Recycled content paper is used for business cards, letterhead, magazines, catalogs, copy paper, and more, and it has the same excellent appearance as non-recycled paper.
Producing recycled copy paper vs. virgin forest fiber copy paper uses significantly less energy, greenhouse gas emissions, particulate emissions, wastewater, solid waste, and of course, 100% fewer tree resources. Forty-two percent of the world’s wood harvest is used to make paper, and the paper industry is one of the most significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions among the manufacturing industries. Furthermore, paper decomposition in landfills is one of the biggest sources of methane releases into the environment. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas.
Paper and paper products are the largest single component of society’s waste stream. The movement to recycle paper and manufacture products is primarily an effort to reduce the amount of costly, disposable waste. When we choose to use recycled paper for our businesses and homes, we don’t have to sacrifice quality. Recycled paper is readily available in many high quality grades meeting the same technical specifications as virgin (tree) paper. The quality of recycled paper has improved significantly over the years, so that it performs well in office copiers, fax machines, printers and printing machines.
There are many companies offer the most comprehensive selection of environmental papers available. Their product line includes recycled office paper, envelopes, planners, school supplies, non-toxic cleaning products, and even organic and fair trade foods.
Grace Enderlein is a freelance writer and editor. ?Do More than Recycle to Go Green; Use Environmental Paper? outlines the importance of choosing 100% recycled paper which is offered by Greenlinepaper.com.
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