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Environmentally Friendly Paper

Paper is a product that most of us use every day. It is an essential thing for us and yet most of us do not think about what kind of paper we use and where it came from. Are you aware that it takes 2 to 3 tons of trees to produce one ton of virgin office printer or copier paper?

Being paper consumers, we need to know where our paper comes from, and what the environmental consequences of our paper choices are. While paper only makes up a small portion of the trees logged in our national forests (lumber makes up the great majority), we should do what we can to reduce unnecessary paper use (especially unrecycled paper). We should also be aware of the fact that there are bleached and unbleached kinds of paper. It is important to realize that paper bleaching process introduces toxic dioxins into the ecosystem. Dioxins, according to the U.S. EPA, have no known safe level of exposure. We need to take another step and be able to distinguish the difference between recycled-content and virgin fiber paper. And finally, we need to realize that we can consume less paper if we choose double-sided printing. All of these choices are important, if we care about the environment.

Where Does Our Paper Come From?

In the U.S. a lot of the trees used in paper production come from old-growth forests. Currently, the United States retains only 3 to 4 percent of its old growth forests, and three-quarters of these are designated as National Forests, which are open to logging subsidized by over $2 billion of public funds every year.

While many timber companies and the U.S. Forest Service say that they plant new trees to replace the ones they cut, it is not an equal substitution. Newly planted trees do not begin to match old-growth trees in providing habitat, protecting topsoil, absorbing carbon dioxide, or helping keep streams clean. Whats more, most replanted trees are destined to be cut in 50 years not destined to become restored old growth forests. Finally, replanting on national forests is done at taxpayer expense.

The Sierra Club does not support subsidies for logging on national forests. Yet many paper mills in Minnesota and around the country use tree fiber from national forests.

Bleached vs. Unbleached Paper

The process of bleaching makes paper to appear brighter than regular. Bleaching is done using the gas form of chlorine; therefore, it produces a lot of unwanted emissions. During the process, naturally occurring chemicals called dioxins in the wood react with added chlorine, producing a residue with dangerous and toxic dioxins. As this residue is then released into rivers, lakes, or other water reservoirs, it has a tendency to accumulate in sediments where it stays until it gets picked up by fish or any other organisms. Dioxins have a really long decomposition period and therefore they bioaccumulate in the organisms that accidentally ingest them. Dioxins have a tendency to move upwards in the food chain. Therefore, first accumulating in food products like milk and fish, they can fast travel to humans and other mammals. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the health consequences of being exposed to dioxins can result in development of cancer, damages in developmental and reproductive processes, immune system damages, diabetes, etc. For more information on dioxins please visit the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) web site: http://www.epa.gov/ncea/pdfs/dioxin/factsheets/dioxin_short2.pdf (pdf).

There are three alternatives to bleaching process in paper-making industry. These are the Elemental Chlorine-Free (ECF) method, which is still a bleaching process but instead of using pure chlorine gas bleaching agents, it uses chlorine derivatives, including chlorine-dioxide. With this technique we are able to reduce the amount of dioxins released. The ECF method can be applied to virgin or recycled fibers. Another technique that can be used is the Totally Chlorine-Free (TCF) method. In this process the bleaching agents are either a combination of oxygen delignification with hydrogen peroxide, or ozone. The fibers that are used in the TCF process are either 100% pure virgin fibers (no recycled content), or alternative fibers such as kenaf. The third alternative that is available is called the Processed Chlorine-Free (PCF) method. Paper produced using this technique might have a content that is 100% recycled and re-bleached using other agents than chlorine. The content might also include some virgin fibers that have been previously treated with TCF technique . In all three cases the paper that is being produced can be either slightly off-white or speckled in its color, or be as white as its chlorine bleached equivalents . The costs of these kinds of papers are not much higher than the costs of regular bleached papers. The price per ream of unbleached paper usually stays under five dollars.

If there are alternatives to bleached paper which have less detrimental effects on humans and the environment, why not use them? Instead of using bleached paper products, we can switch to using unbleached ones, thus causing less danger for everyone. So switch to unbleached paper and make a difference.

Recycled Paper

Along with buying unbleached paper, you can also buy paper that has recycled content in it. There are two different types of recycled paper. One of them is made out of recycled material, which is usually scrap pieces and parts found at the paper mill. The other one is called "postconsumer" content paper and that means that the material used to produce paper has at least been used once already.

It is common to hear that recycled paper is bad for printers and copiers, causing the machines to jam. That is a misconception. Recycled paper that we have today performs just as well as paper made from virgin fibers. It has also been proven that recycled paper is best for double-sided printing. That is because it is less bright and has a higher opacity, which makes it harder to see through.

Eureka Recycling reports that according to a study conducted by The Paper Task Force, recycled-content paper comes out to be more environmentally friendly than the virgin fiber paper. Compared to virgin paper, recycled-content paper:

  • Uses 44 percent less energy;
  • Reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent;
  • Reduced oxide emissions by 23 percent;
  • Reduces particulate emissions by 41 percent;
  • Produced 48 percent less solid waste;

Double-sided Printing and Money Saved

We have established that it is possible to use not only unbleached types of paper, but also recycled-content paper, which is easier to double-side while printing. Dont forget that by double-siding while printing you are saving additional paper and energy that it takes to produce a sheet of paper, as well as your own money. With this additional money you can afford to buy more environmentally clean paper or you can purchase a new and a more efficient printer which might be doing a better job in printing double-sided documents.

Assume that annually your school uses up to one million sheets of paper. If your school adopts a double-sided printing policy, then it will only have to spent money on approximately half as much paper. That means that with current paper prices your school could save up to $4,000. This money would be enough to buy a good black and white printer, which can costs anything between $900 and $3,000. Good deal!

Cost Comparison

In making the decision to switch to either unbleached or recycled-content paper consider the options given below. Prices listed in this chart are consumer prices and would likely decrease in case of a bulk order.


Paper Name Recycled Content Bleaching Acid Free Brightness Color Price per Ream
Great White MultiUse 30% ECF; hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydrasulfite yes 84 white $4.27
Hammermill Everyday Multipurpose Paper 0% NA yes 92 white $4.66
HP Multipurpose Paper 0% NA yes 92 white $3.39
Eureka Recycling Paper Co-op 100% Chlorine free (PCF) yes NA white $3.75
Envirographic 100 100% post consumer waste (PCW) PCF yes 82 white under $5
Eureka!100 100% PCW PCF yes 84 white under $5
Encore 100 100% PCW PCF yes 85 white under $5
New Life Dual Purpose 100 80% recycled (60% PCW), 20% sustainable virgin fiber PCF yes 84 White under $6

How Do I Get It?

You can order recycled and unbleached paper from one of the local distributors: Eureka Recycling. The frequency of Eureka's orders depends on consumer demand. The contact at Eureka recycling is Margie ONeill, (651) 222-7678 or . To find out about other green paper distributors please visit www.thepapercampaign.com/alternatives.html.

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