RECYCLED OFFICE PAPER?
The most used office product is paper. Did you know that each day American businesses generate enough paper to circle the globe at least 40 times? 77% of the paper waste generated in your office each day is recyclable. If we recycle just one ton of this paper we would save around 6.7 cubic yards of landfill space and save 17 trees! Commercial and residential paper waste accounts for a huge amount of unnecessary landfill space. Did you know that this paper can be recycled into many common items such as newspapers, game boards, egg cartons, storage boxes, etc.? It’s never to late to start recycling and buy recycled products.
Here are some myths of recycled paper:
Is recycled paper high quality?
In 1998, a group of copier manufactures and printers conducted a test to see how well recycled paper worked with standard office equipment. They tested paper with 30% post consumer recycled paper, which is the standard set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The verdict: Recycled paper not only exceeded the quality of virgin paper but it worked without complications in office equipment.
Can I buy bright white recycled paper?
Recycled paper comes in a variety of different color, weight, and styles. Brightness is no issue when it comes to recycled paper. Its’ purity is more than capable of meeting the demanding requirements of businesses and professionals.
How to Buy Recycled Paper
Follow these steps when buying recycled paper.
Step 1:
Look for packaging that displays the correct recycled symbol. A symbol that displays chasing arrows which is inside a circle indicates that the product contains recycled content. This symbol is often confused with the chasing arrows symbol, which doesn’t contain a circle. This only means the product may be recycled.
Step 2:
Buy paper with a high post consumer content versus paper that is made from pre-consumer content.
If you are unsure about the difference, let us explain. Post consumer simply means that the product is made with reprocessed paper, collected from consumers.
Pre-consumer recycled paper is made with waste that never made it to the hands of consumers. An example of this is paper trimmings from a paper mill.
Paper with the highest post consumer waste is the best to shop for. Buying paper with a higher percentage of post consumer content sends a strong message to the manufacturer. When manufactures are faced with a high demand for paper that is made from post consumer content, then they will be obligated to collect more paper waste and turn that into new paper, thus increases the need to recycle.
Step 3:
Lastly, don’t be fooled by marketing lingo. People often assume the words “environmentally safe, environmentally friendly, and natural” with products which are recycled or made from recycled materials. This is untrue! Again, look for the correct recycling signs, as mentioned earlier.
Written by: Aaron Gerard, Supply Brothers
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