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We here at A Local Printer are passionate about helping the environment and are proud to promote the use recycled paper across all our online printing services. However, we appreciate that not everyone is as aware of the benefits of environmentally friendly printing as we are; therefore we thought it would be a good idea to put together a brief Q & A. Hopefully, this will help all of our customers to make a more informed choice regarding their commercial printing or plain paper requirements.
What Exactly is Recycled Paper?
According to The Sustainable Office Forum (TSOF), recycled paper should include as high a proportion of post consumer waste fibre as possible. ‘Post consumer waste’ is basically paper that has already been used for its intended purpose.
Does Using Recycled Paper Save Trees?
Using recycled paper does not save trees per se, rather it makes more effective use of their fibres. Designated trees are typically planted and cut as a crop for purposes other than just making paper. The beauty of recycling is that it makes better use of the yield of the tree thereby extending the life span of its fibres. The main benefit of this is that it reduces the amount of paper ending up in landfill sites.
Can all Paper be Recycled?
Whilst most paper types can be recycled, many organisations that collect waste paper generally prefer good quality white paper. Indeed, most collectors encourage individuals and companies that retain their waste paper to keep their discarded white paper separate from poorer grades of paper such as coloured paper, thermal fax paper, envelopes, wall planners, card, laminates, newspapers and magazines. Happily, there are other organisations that are quite happy to collect discarded newspapers, magazines and coloured paper.
Can Paper be Recycled Indefinitely?
The great thing about paper is that it can always be recycled. However, it is important to note that some of the individual fibres within recycled paper break down each time they go through the recycling process. In general, these fibres will become too short for paper-making after four of five cycles of recycling. These deteriorated fibres can be replaced with virgin fibres.
Is the Environment Harmed by the De-Inking Procedures used in the Recycling Process?
The environment is not harmed in any way by de-inking as recyclers use a detergent to float off the ink which is present on discarded paper. This is achieved by injecting air bubbles into the vat that contains the pulp as this makes the ink rise to the surface where it is subsequently scooped away. Once out of the vat, the ink is solidified and disposed of in an environmentally acceptable way.
Is Recycled Paper Significantly More Expensive Than Virgin Paper?
Recycled paper used to cost considerably more than virgin paper in the past as the price of virgin fibre products were always at rock bottom levels. However, the increased uptake in use and number of variants now available has seen the cost of recycled paper fall significantly in recent years.
References:
2. http://www.napm.org.uk/recycled_paper.htm
3. http://www.tsof.org.uk/myths1.html
