On Paper

Going Green At The Office

By Kelly Koeppel

TodayÕs Charlotte Woman Magazine (04-2008)

 

One way your business can initiate making environmentally sensitive choices is to begin with the paper you purchase.  In the past, people assumed that recycled paper was off-white or tan, with a fiber or grain.  However, todayÕs recycled papers can contain 100 percent post-consumer content, be brightened by a chlorine-free process and cost less than comparable papers with fewer environmental benefits.  Look for the following paper product designations:

 

Forest Stewardship Council Certification

The FSC sets standards for responsible forest management, assuring buyers that the paper is coming from a forest that is not being harvested in a way that would damage the natural habitat, and that the rights of workers are respected.

 

Pre/Post-Consumer Papers

Post-consumer papers contain a percentage of recycled paper material and/or a percentage of post-consumer waste, while pre-consumer papers include the trimmings and scraps from previous paper production.  Many paper manufacturers already include pre-consumer content in their papers.

 

Chlorine-Free Papers

Chlorine was once a preferred means to produce a bright white finish, until it was discovered that dioxin byproducts were contaminating our lakes and rivers.  Some manufacturers now use the elemental chlorine-free process (ECF); others employ the process chlorine-free (PCF) or totally chlorine-free process (TCF).  The ECF method uses chlorine derivatives that reduce dioxins by 90 percent.  The PCF method uses no chlorine or chlorine derivatives.  The TCF process uses virgin wood, eliminating the inclusion of trace chlorine contained in recycled product.

 

Save-A-Tree Papers

Paper can be made from just about anything – denim, coconut shells, and even old paper money!  Tree-free papers use any variety of organically derived fibers or ÒagrifibersÓ such as hemp, cottone, or other non-wood fibers.  Often, these materials yield more pulp per acre than forests.

 

Kelly Koeppel is a designer and owner of k2forma in Mooresville.  The complete version of this article appears in the November 2007 installment of her blog: k2forma blog.