Most of you know the environmental choice for office paper is the highest postconsumer waste percentage (PCW) possible, chlorine-free. Paper with as little as 20 percent PCW can be labeled “recycled.” Of course, tree-free paper is a great choice too. There are distinctions within the chlorine-free category that you may not be aware of. “Process Chlorine Free” (PCF) means that although no chlorine is added during processing, it may be recycled from scraps that have chlorine. “Totally Chlorine Free” (TCF) is bleached with hydrogen peroxide or oxygen, or is unbleached but contains virgin fiber. Papers labeled as ECF, Elemental Chlorine Free are bleached with chlorine dioxide, which produces toxins.
As a comparison, Hammermill CopyPlus Recycled runs about $5 per ream. It contains 20 percent recycled material, 20 percent of which is PCW. These are the most widely available, commodity priced papers:
— Eureka!100: 100 percent PCW multipurpose office paper. About $5-7 per ream.
— Sandpiper 100%: same as above. About $7-9 per ream.
— New Life Dual Purpose 100: minimum of 60 percent PCW. 80 percent is PCF; 20 percent TCF. About $4 per ream.
— Trailblazer 100 percent kenaf (TCF)
— Re-Vision 50/50: half recycled kenaf, half PCW
— Hemp Heritage: 24 lb. bond. 25 percent recycled hemp fabric, 75 percent PCW. Prices for all tree-free papers are more expensive at $20-30 a ream.
— Greenco envelopes: 100 percent PCW, unbleached. About $15 per 500 business-sized.
To find suppliers, check Co-op America’s Green Pages under “Office/Desk Supplies,” “Paper”, and “Printing.”
FROM
Co-op America’s Connections
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