| Recycled Paper |
| Recycled paper is de-inked and then processed to make new paper. It can contain anywhere from 10% to 100% recycled content, so all recycled papers are not equally as environmentally-friendly. Also, some recycled content is made from pre-consumer waste, which means that it's made from waste fibre from paper mills and other sources of printed paper that never reached the consumer. Post-consumer waste content is the fibre that is made from paper collected from blue boxes in offices and homes. Post-consumer waste content is considered better than pre-consumer because it is more likely to end up in landfills if it is not reused. So make sure you pay attention to both the percentage of recycled content in the paper that you buy as well as the type of recycled content. |
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Each year, North Americans throw away enough office paper to build a wall four metres high, stretching from Vancouver to Halifax. (from Spicers Supreme Guide to the Environment, 04/07) We all need to recycle and buy recycled paper products! |
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| Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) |
FSC is an international certification and labeling system that guarantees that the forest products you purchase come from responsibly managed forests and verified recycled sources.
Under FSC certification, forests are certified against a set of strict environmental and social standards, and fibre from certified forests is tracked all the way to the consumer through the chain of custody certification system. The end result is products in the marketplace carrying the FSC 'check-tree' logo.
FSC certification is a voluntary and market-based mechanism for ensuring that our forests are healthy. Consumer demand for FSC-certified products encourages forest managers and owners to become FSC-certified. Independent third-party auditors conduct all FSC certification audits. |
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See www.fsccanada.org for more information. |
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| Chlorine-Free Paper |
| Wood pulp, which is made into paper, is not naturally white. The usual process to whiten it is to use chlorine bleach, which is harmful to the environment because the chlorine is present in mill waste-water. However, there are processes to make paper white in a more environmentally-friendly ways. |
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ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) is a process that uses a chlorine derivative (chlorine dioxide), which is much less harmful to the environment. |
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PCF (Processed Chlorine Free) means that the recycled content in the paper is unbleached, or bleached without chlorine or chlorine derivatives. |
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| Green Energy |
| All of the energy used in the process of manufacturing paper contributes to climate-change, unless the manufacturer is using green energy. Sources of green energy are emission-free, for example, biogas power, wind power, solar power and low-impact water power. Look for the certification that shows your paper manufacturer is using green energy sources, rather than carbon-intensive sources like coal and oil. |
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| Recommended Papers |
| Cascades Rolland Enviro 100 Print 100% post-consumer fibre, processed chlorine free, FSC certified, Environmental Choice certified. Rolland ST30, Rolland Opaque30 and Rolland Hitech30 all 30% post-consumer fibre, FSC certified, Environmental Choice certified. Cascades uses biogas energy and 80% less water than the industry average. For more info, see www.environmentalbychoice.com |
| Fox River Paper Evergreen 100PC 100% post-consumer fibre, FSC certified, Rainforest Alliance certified, Processed Chlorine Free. Fox River Paper Evergreen 50/50 50% post-consumer fibre, 50% bamboo fibres, FSC certified, Rainforest Alliance certified, Elemental Chlorine Free, Processed Chlorine Free. Fox River Paper Sundance & Fox River Paper Crushed Leaf Most colours 30% post-consumer fibre. For more info, see www.foxriverpaper.com. |
| Neenah Environment 100% post-consumer fibre, FSC certified, alternative fibre content, made with 100% green energy, processed chlorine free. For more info, see www.neenahpaper.com/ENVIRONMENT |
| Spicers Supreme 30% post-consumer fibre, Elemental Chlorine Free, Processed Chlorine Free, FSC certified. |
| Strathmore Writing & Script 30% to 100% post-consumer fibre, FSC certified. Manufactured using wind-generated electricity. Green Seal certified. Mohawk Textures 30% post-consumer fibre, Green Seal certified. For more info, see www.mohawkpaper.com |
| Wausau Exact Eco 100 100% post-consumer fibre, FSC certified. Many of Wausau Paper's other paper lines are made from 30% post-consumer fibre. For more info, see www.wausaupaper.com |