Paper was first developed in ancient China from recycled materials – they used rags, fishing nets, hemp and grasses. Just over one hundred years ago, paper began to be made commercially from trees in the New World, primarily because the need for an economical way to print books required alternative fiber sources from traditional rag materials. Now as we boldly continue into the 21 st century, the use of recycled paper is coming full-circle to its origins, with some new developments.
As we actively pursue the conservation of the Earth’s natural resources, including trees, recycled paper offers some important advantages to our businesses and our economy in this time of global climactic strife:
- Recycled paper saves enormous amounts of water and energy in its production over virgin papermaking processes.
- Recycled paper produces less pollution by cutting down on our solid waste in landfills and employs a far cleaner, less toxic manufacturing process than used in virgin papermaking.
- Recycled papers are now being produced from annual crops or agricultural byproducts, eliminating the need to cut wooded forests for paper altogether.
Some important considerations when choosing to use any paper including recycled paper:
- Before choosing a paper product, evaluate how you can reduce your firm’s overall paper use so you use only what is needed and avoid losses from storage; use computers and electronic methods of data storage where possible over printed material; if printed media are required, maintain central files to avoid duplication; update mailing and distribution lists to avoid outdated information
- Think of how to minimize use of paper – use copiers that will easily duplex (print on both sides of the paper); reuse inter-office envelopes, file boxes and binders; send usable discards to reuse centers or donate to schools; print directly onto envelopes instead of labels; use blank sides of unneeded single-copy pages for printing drafts; use half-size sheets (8 ½” x 5 ½”) for short memos and letters
There are many types of recycled paper available, both coated and uncoated. Specifying the paper that best suits your needs is up to you and your commercial printer; in the interest of recycling, it is best to use the least amount of basis weight and most economical cut to eliminate waste. Be sure to confer with your printer before ordering, as he may have an innovative solution to make the most of your choice. And don’t forget soy-based inks in your printing and recycling bins in your office – let’s make the use of recycled paper a “closed loop” process!
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