What is an Environmentally-friendly Paper?

• One that is made from a large percentage of recycled post consumer waste paper. Recycled paper manufacturing uses up to 90% less water and about 50% less energy than paper sourced from virgin fibre.
• Well managed plantation-derived fibre including eucalyptus and pine but preferably alternative fibre crops such as hemp, kenaf and bagasse.
• Paper made without chlorine bleaching.
• Some Australian paper is promoted as recycled, however Government and industry definitions of recycled paper fall short of the mark. They are mostly pre-consumer paper products. Look for products that state they are 100% post consumer rather than recycled, eg.,Renew 100 is promoted as “100% recycled” however it contains approximately 10% pre or post consumer milk carton material, 20% cotton linters (cotton is not a sustainable product) and 70% pre consumer waste. This 70% is native forest fibre!
• Plantations are not always environmentally-friendly. Issues that need to be addressed include: genetic engineering; toxic pollution of soil, ground water, waterways and the ocean; clearance of native bush; effects on biodiversity and fertility; loss and degradation of riparian areas and waterways. Eg., many imported office papers from Malaysia, Brazil or Indonesia come from areas where either plantation establishment or the logging of tropical rainforests has caused human rights abuses and devastating forest fires. Do not use paper manufactured in these countries.

The Alternatives

      Evolve:

      Production Process:

• Made from 100% post-consumer waste[1]
• Oxygen bleached
• Manufactured in accordance with Era, UK Paper’s Environmentally Responsible Approach to paper making; covering recycling, waste water management, power utilisation and minimising landfill
• “Blue Angel” (German standard) certified meeting stringent environmental criteria, including manufacture from 100% waste paper previously used or processed
• “Nordic Swan” (Scandinavia). This label is awarded only to products which meet stringent, ecologically responsible standards throughout their entire life cycle.
• The plant itself (M-Real New Thames, Kemsley) operates to world leading environmental standards. Only 5% of the input is subsequently deposited as landfill. Apart from the valuable fibre recovered, the remaining waste is utilised as a soil conditioner by local farmers. The water used within the process is recycled water from the adjacent New Thames paper mill. The plant is powered by the world-beating efficient Combined Heat and Power Plant on the same site.

Suitable for:                                   

• duplexing                                 
• high speed copying                  
• double-siding                           
• plain paper faxes          
• inkjet machines
• laser printing                                        
• offset printing   

Qualities:

• Correct curl control
• Low dust control
• Correct finish and opacity
• Precision cut
• Stable optical properties
• Reduced copier soiling
• Superior archival properties

      Nautilus: (Canon 100)

      Production Process:

• Made from at least 85% post consumer and at most 15% pre consumer paper
• Oxygen bleached
• Archival properties of a minimum of 200 years (alkaline paper)
• High purity and bulk with even sheet information
• Guaranteed photocopies with high contrast and resolution
• “Blue Angel” (German standard) certified meeting stringent environmental criteria, including manufacture from 100% waste paper previously used or processed
• packaging – wrappers are made from the environmentally-friendly “biocoat”, an humidity proof coating made from natural organic and mineral substances that is completely biodegradable, recyclable and has no noxious emissions.

Suitable for:                                   

• duplexing                                 

• high speed copying                  
• double-siding                           
• plain paper faxes                      
• inkjet machines            
• laser printing                

• offset printing   
•  

Qualities:

• Correct curl control
• Low dust control
• Correct finish and opacity
• Precision cut
• Stable optical properties
• Reduced copier soiling
• Superior archival properties                 

Cane Fields Eco Paper

Production Process:

• TNPL (Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited) produces Cane Fields at its plant in India which has a commitment towards sustainable development
• By relying on bagasse (sugar cane offcuts), a renewable resource, TNPL helps prevent the denudation of 30,000 acres of forest land each year
• It hails as India’s most energy efficient plant
• Has achieved self-sufficiency in power through wind energy and co-generation
• Has a sophisticated effluent treatment plant where effluent water is treated by activated sludge process
• The paper uses at most 15% plantation sourced timber fibre and the remainder is bagasse sourced from surrounding sugar cane farms. The pith is also used as a power source for the mill.
• There are two main grades of copy paper – standard and premium. The standard is suitable for low or medium speed copiers while the premium is recommended for high speed copiers and laser printers.
• A range of stationery products is also available including student exercise and notebooks.

Green Wrap

Production process:

• Produced by Paperlinx at its Shoalhaven mill for Fuji Xerox as a compromise paper which promises recycled content while offering high portability across many types of machinery and a bright white appearance.
• The paper is claimed to be 50% recycled though approximately 40% of this is pre-consumer and only 10% (approximately) is post consumer content. The paper also contains up to 40% imported plantation fibre and no native forest or saw mill residues are used. The remaining 10% of content comes from the unsustainable cotton industry in the form of linters which Paperlinx has used for many years in paper production.
• The product is sodium hypochlorite bleached to achieve whiteness and reduce microorganisms in the recycling process. The recycled pulp is also deinked.
• The Shoalhaven mill has been significantly upgraded in recent years and now produces far less water pollution, reduced fresh water consumption (30%) and greater water reuse. Water treatment improvements have reduced BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) by 95%. Organochlorines have also been reduced but remain at 50 grams per dried tonne of paper (below legal limits).
• Energy is delivered using coal sources on site (42%) however a cogeneration plant has improved a previously poor record in this aspect.

Suitability:                                      

• duplexing                                 

• high speed copying                              
• double-siding                           
• plain paper faxes                                  
• inkjet machines            
• laser printing
• offset printing   

Published by SCRAP Ltd 2003

SCRAP (School Communities Recycling All Paper) Ltd
C/o Holsworthy High School, Huon Cr, Holsworthy  2173
Ph: 02 9825 1062    Fax: 02 9825 6972   ABN 40 079 741 227
http://www.scrapltd.com.au

Thanks to SCRAP for supplying this information and giving permission for use on this site.