ISSUE: IS RECYCLED PAPER THE BEST WE CAN DO?
Use Virgin Fiber For Your High-Quality Paper
How concerned should you be about the amount of post-consumer waste in your paper? That depends on the kind of paper you’re using. Recovered fiber is best used in “dark” papers. In a process called downcycling, recovered fibers from recycled office paper or high-end printing paper are used in papers designed for less demanding applications, such as manila folders or cardboard. Downcycling is the most efficient form of recycling.
On the other hand, when the recovered content is used for a white, bright sheet, we call that upcycling. Upcycling demands extra chemicals and resources to de-ink and make recovered fibers white again.
For these reasons, virgin fiber makes more sense for bright white papers. Another concern is quality. Each time fibers are recovered and recycled, they become shorter and more brittle. As a result, too much recovered fiber can compromise a paper’s performance and strength. This is why high-end printing papers may contain small amounts of post-consumer waste, or may not contain any at all. Not to worry. Virgin paper can be downcycled multiple times to become packaging, newsprint and other paper products.
Take Care Of Our forests
As long as your paper is certified, you can be sure the virgin fiber in it comes from forests that are responsibly managed. And that assures that there will be plenty of trees. In fact, forestland is steadily increasing in the United States. But you have to look for certification from a credible third-party source, such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) or both. Their certification is your assurance that endangered forests are being protected and that your paper is being manufactured and distributed in a sustainable manner
