How to Introduce Recycled Content Paper?

Amanda,

I asked Patricia Jatczak, the resident Environmentally Preferable Purchasing expert in our office, and she sent the following links: Here is a great organization, ConservaTree, and they just so happen to be located in California. Susan Kinsella is a good resource for all things paper. http://www.conservatree.com/ The Northwest Paper Forum was held a year ago, and the Web site has some good information. http://www.nwpaperforum.org/ Recycled Paper Cooperative http://www.recycledproducts.org/ Environmental Defense - Paper and Packaging http://www.environmentaldefense.org/partnership_category.cfm?categoryID= 1%20&linkID=15

Regarding Recycled paper: Grays Harbor Paper produces very nice 100% recycled paper and is a co-generating plant as well. www.ghplp.com.

Joel W. Gregory

King County Housing Authority
15455 65th Ave S. #100 Tukwila, WA 98188-2583
206-214-1249
206-315-6930
fax www.kcha.org

Hi Amanda,

I have no idea what the resources are in the San Fran Bay Area, but you may find it difficult to find a good printer able to work with 100% recycled content and soy based inks. You may also find it difficult to get the finished product you desire. I have no idea what you're using now, but a good compromise would what I've done. I have our printed materials produced on: Printed on recycled paper50% recycled material containing 15% post-consumer waste Acid & Elemental Chlorine Free While it's not 100%, nor am I using soy-based inks, I am moving them in the right direction, and I'm still able to produce a quality product that it's light years better for the environment than "new" paper...Good Luck! Keep us posted - I too am interested in what you discover.

Tari

Maybe it is a greater challenge in the States, but in Canada it is very easy to get 100% post consumer recycled content for good quality publications. We published two books in Canada for a client based in Japan last year using a 10 pt EuroArt Glass with an O.P.P. laminate for the Cover stock. The paper was from chlorine-free bleached pulp (on average 70% TCF and 30% ECF). The wood procurement was certified in accordance with PEFC/FSC. The mills providing the paper operate under ISO 14001. The text was Envrio100 Vellum Offset 100% post consumer recycled content, carrying the Environmental Choice logo, processed chlorine free. I think the inks were vegetable-based. If you call a printing company you should be able to get a range of paper options that meets your recycled content needs and ink performance needs. I usually call three so that I can make a decision based on a range of prices and different paper options with the environmental performance I want. Sometimes the performance indicators vary, and a decision has to be made to optimize the procurement decision against all six risk elements, including quality and price. For the two books we published for the client the challenge was making the choice from an array of papers - I think we had ten options. We also spoke directly to the paper company to discuss the details of their paper's environmental performance - they had more information than the printing company offered in terms of environmental performance. The reason that many printers around here did not have as much information as the paper company had, was people still were not asking about this as often as they should be. So 'good on you for asking'. BUT STOP THE PRESS. There is another option for printing - which is a waterless printing process. In Canada, there is a company called Warren's Waterless Printing, they make some excellent points about printing not being just about the paper, or end product, its also about how you get there. http://www.warrenswaterless.com/

L. E. Johannson, B.E.S. (Hons), M.Sc.,

FRSA President E2 Management Corporation (E2M)
113 Mountainview Road South
Georgetown, Ontario CANADA L7G 4K2
Tel: (1) 905 - 873 - 9484
Fax: (1) 905 - 873 - 3054
Email: [email protected]

Hi Amanda:

I have just been through a year long process to "green up" paper use and printing practices for my client Middlebury College here in Vermont. The first phase of the process has focused on identifying the barriers and opportunities regarding sustainable paper practices as well as an assessment of the best available sustainable practices in the paper and printing industry. Our internal organizational efforts linked all users as well as administration decisionmakers and purchasing decisionmakers. We did surveys of users and as well informal one-on-one interviews with key players. With this ground work in place we established an advisory group on campus. The effort has been successful and the college is in the midst of testing 100% PCW PCF papers campuswide to select a paper to change campus over to en masse. The College library uses one ton of paper per month and so this change is significant - we are changing from 30% PCW to 100%. In our next phase we are making policy recommendations with associated lists of practices for adoption by the administration. This team approach has generated ownership at all levels in the institution. One valuable resource is the Forest Stewardship Council. Once a business has this certification from forest to printing you can be assured that sustainable practices have been met. In my research, they are the only reputable certification. They are international and third party. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Best of luck to you.
Canter Barnicle Communications
Nadine Canter Barnicle, M.A.
Weybridge, Vermont
802 545-2070
e-mail: [email protected]

Amanda

You might want to check out Rainforest Action Network's website - www.ran.org. They are doing a SmartPaper campaign where universities are getting involved. Awhile back a did get a list from RAN of Suppliers of Tree-free, recycled, and certified paper which I revised. Feel free to contact me if you would like the list. Check out also www.rethinkpaper.org which I believe is out of San Francisco. And also New Leaf Paper, www.newleafpaper.com located in San Francisco and New York. Phone in SF is 888-989-LEAF. This company is on the list that I mentioned.

Pat

Pat Rossi
Education Specialist
Summit/Akron Solid Waste Management Authority
PH: 330-374-0383, ext. 203
FAX: 330-374-1819