The Facts on Recycled paper - What are they
The answer seems to be getting ever more complex.
More and more government departments, businesses, community groups and the general public are wanting to either 'do the right thing' or be seen to be 'doing the right thing' by the environment and heading towards recycled paper as the simple solution. Unfortunately it is just not that simple anymore.
Kristina Holdorf (an advocate for environmental innovations within the print and paper industry with an indepth understanding of certification systems, corporate social responsibility and green procurement) writes in this month's Print 21 magazine "Over the past couple of months I've had a number of 'independent reports' from paper mills come across my desk, all trying to outdo themselves in the environmental arena................I must admit that in most conversations with print/paper buyers their view is that recycled is best. I'll let you in on a trade secret...it depends." www.urbanfreshservices.com
The truth seems to lie within a complex maze of questions about bleaching, water use, energy use, de-inking and the energy to collect, sort & transport post consumer waste to and from the recycling process." David Peck (Managing Director of Tasmanian print firm Sprinta) in the same edition suggests that it is clean and not green that people are really looking for. "Unfortunately customers are being blinded by marketing hype now known as 'green washing' - companies and products stating they are 'green' with no reality behind the claim."..... "Clean as opposed to the marketing term 'green' is what they should be looking for." David argues if we look for clean rather than green we will get a better environmental outcome.
In the article 'Clearing the Air' - Print 21 magazine article Simon Entickap states"It's a mess, isn't it? With so many claims and counter-claims, knowing what to think, who to believe and, most importantly, what to do in order to be environmentally responsible seems ever more complex and confusing. Well, there are good reasons for this state of affairs but they shouldn't be used as an excuse for inaction" before going on to talk about carbon issues.
I now believe, after reading all the information I can lay my hands on, that recycling is still important and has its place in a balanced environmental solution but it is not the simple solution as it isn't always the most environmentally friendly way to go.
At the most basic level - if it is white, premium grade paper that is required then recycled is not the answer.
Most recycled papers are used in packaging grades, newsprint and tissue products and that seems a good environmental choice. We all want to reduce landfill but not create a new monster.
The three natural resources that need to be factored into the equation are
AIR, WATER & TREES
Very little paper comes from old growth forests these days. Plantations specifically grown for paper production are in themselves a positive contributor to carbon sequestration.
Insisting on recycled paper for white or premium quality print jobs makes no environmental sense. Do we ask for recycled wood for housing construction? We probably hope it is plantation timber and not old growth forest timber but we have no expectation that the timber is recycled. Around 75% of all plantations are grown for timber products not pulp so why do we impose a different set of criteria?
There appears a desperate need to inform consumers of white and premium quality papers to focus their environmental focus towards clean, sustainable, environmentally certified processes. It could be argued the process of manufacture is far more important to the environmental outcome than the source of the pulp and to consider the environment just in terms of trees without the AIR & WATER implications is at best naive.
Don Parry
Communications & Planning
www.qprint.com.au
More and more government departments, businesses, community groups and the general public are wanting to either 'do the right thing' or be seen to be 'doing the right thing' by the environment and heading towards recycled paper as the simple solution. Unfortunately it is just not that simple anymore.
Kristina Holdorf (an advocate for environmental innovations within the print and paper industry with an indepth understanding of certification systems, corporate social responsibility and green procurement) writes in this month's Print 21 magazine "Over the past couple of months I've had a number of 'independent reports' from paper mills come across my desk, all trying to outdo themselves in the environmental arena................I must admit that in most conversations with print/paper buyers their view is that recycled is best. I'll let you in on a trade secret...it depends." www.urbanfreshservices.com
The truth seems to lie within a complex maze of questions about bleaching, water use, energy use, de-inking and the energy to collect, sort & transport post consumer waste to and from the recycling process." David Peck (Managing Director of Tasmanian print firm Sprinta) in the same edition suggests that it is clean and not green that people are really looking for. "Unfortunately customers are being blinded by marketing hype now known as 'green washing' - companies and products stating they are 'green' with no reality behind the claim."..... "Clean as opposed to the marketing term 'green' is what they should be looking for." David argues if we look for clean rather than green we will get a better environmental outcome.
In the article 'Clearing the Air' - Print 21 magazine article Simon Entickap states"It's a mess, isn't it? With so many claims and counter-claims, knowing what to think, who to believe and, most importantly, what to do in order to be environmentally responsible seems ever more complex and confusing. Well, there are good reasons for this state of affairs but they shouldn't be used as an excuse for inaction" before going on to talk about carbon issues.
I now believe, after reading all the information I can lay my hands on, that recycling is still important and has its place in a balanced environmental solution but it is not the simple solution as it isn't always the most environmentally friendly way to go.
At the most basic level - if it is white, premium grade paper that is required then recycled is not the answer.
Most recycled papers are used in packaging grades, newsprint and tissue products and that seems a good environmental choice. We all want to reduce landfill but not create a new monster.
The three natural resources that need to be factored into the equation are
AIR, WATER & TREES
Very little paper comes from old growth forests these days. Plantations specifically grown for paper production are in themselves a positive contributor to carbon sequestration.
Insisting on recycled paper for white or premium quality print jobs makes no environmental sense. Do we ask for recycled wood for housing construction? We probably hope it is plantation timber and not old growth forest timber but we have no expectation that the timber is recycled. Around 75% of all plantations are grown for timber products not pulp so why do we impose a different set of criteria?
There appears a desperate need to inform consumers of white and premium quality papers to focus their environmental focus towards clean, sustainable, environmentally certified processes. It could be argued the process of manufacture is far more important to the environmental outcome than the source of the pulp and to consider the environment just in terms of trees without the AIR & WATER implications is at best naive.
Don Parry
Communications & Planning
www.qprint.com.au
Labels: environment, printing, recyled paper
posted by Onewhomustbenameless at
9:02 am
1 Comments:
Thanks for this posting.
Your blog is very knowledgeable!! Keep it always updated.
Green Printing
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