Despite all the talk about the paperless office consumption continues to rise by around 20% each year. The average office worker uses up to 100 sheets of paper a day and half of all office waste is paper based so buying recycled paper for business is an obvious initial step when improving green credentials. Paper is a major cost for most offices and this expense can be considerably reduced, especially when combined with other initiatives such as recycling. You will save money!
Using virgin and old growth forests for office paper than ends up in the bin is madness. Apart from the loss of forests and the destruction of habitats paper production is energy intensive and causes pollution. Surprisingly, there is no universal standard definition for recycled paper which can cause confusion. Ideally you should buy paper that has a high recycled content, with a post-consumer waste content greater than 70%, totally chlorine free during production and has an accredited environmental or green label that details emission standards. It sounds simple but there are pitfalls. Don’t be taken for a ride by a printer or paper supplier who offers recycled paper at a premium price but can’t even quote the recyclable content.
Purists may want to look for the Blue Angel logo, Europe’s tightest specification for recycled paper was developed by the German government with the backing of the United Nations. The symbol also covers a wide range of other products. To qualify for the Blue Angel Award, paper and board must be manufactured from 100% scrap paper, 51% of which must be low or medium grade, containing kraft sulphate fibres.
However, for many businesses this target is too high, and a more realistic green goal is to use recycled NAPM approved paper. To qualify for the NAPM recycled paper mark, paper and board must be 75% genuine waste fibre and this minimum value must not include any mill produced wasted. For a list of NAPM papers available, check its website. Other environmentally labelled papers and websites to look out for include Nordic Swan and Eugropa amongst others. Once you have a firm idea of what you want, check your paper supplier can obtain it, talk to your printer and aim to make your next print run an environmentally friendly one!
Initially, switching to high quality recycled paper costs more but over time you could save much more. Reducing what you use and recycling as much paper in the office as possible can produce immediate savings – and other green initiatives such as energy savings may produce a healthy reduction in overall bills. Prices are becoming more competitive so it is worth shopping around periodically and switching when necessary. Support local business if you can and weigh up the pros and cons of doing so.
All business literature can be produced on recycled paper, and there are only minor differences compared to virgin. Plan and design with the paper in mind, get the right paper and use a printer experienced with recycled paper. This way you will get the best results from complex print jobs. Papers for office equipment and for printing can be indistinguishable from virgin products.
Of course the content of the paper is just part of the story. Printing on recycled paper and paper from sustainable sources, such as Forest Stewardship Council can be part of a company’s pledge to a greener world. If you buy FSC-certified paper you will know that the recycled or post-consumer waste content is verified and all other fibre comes from forest-friendly sources that meet the FSC international standards. The FSC certification system is supported by environmental organisations such as World Wild Fund, Rainforest Alliance and Greenpeace. To use the FSC logo on a document it must be produced by a printer with an FSC chain of custody certification and be on FSC-certified paper. The chain of custody is the process by which the source of a timber product is verified and involves inspection and auditing of the label from which the timber and pulpwood originate and tracking it though all the steps of the production process until it reaches the end user. All steps have to be independently verified.
Every office needs a paper policy which will only work if it is realistic, manageable and affordable. Using recycled paper is merely one strand in that policy. Below is a list of useful websites.
www.blauer-engel.de the “Blue Angel” symbol indicates paper made from 100% waste paper with at least 51% low grade or medium grade scrap and wastes containing kraft.
www.fsc.org promotes responsible management of the world’s forests and sets international standards.
www.eugropa.com the European Paper Merchants Association.
www.opsi.gov.uk the government stationery office.
