Buying recycled
|
About paper
papermaking
by hand, c.1790
|
What is recycled paper?
|
Certifications compared
|
   |
What the standards used mean
Not all recycled papers are equal - some are better for the environment
than others.
Let the buyer beware . . .
The following standards give an indication of the true recycled content
of the paper and should not be confused with, for example, the ‘eco
check’ star system (which awards only one star for any use of
recycled fibre).
Also beware of descriptions such as ‘paper from sustainable
forestry’ and ‘managed woodlands’ (which actually
mean ‘continuing the bad old ways’). These are pure marketing
ploys created to mislead uninformed consumers.
|
|
 NAPM
Approved Recycled
The British National
Association of Paper Merchants NAPM Approved Recycled mark indicates
both a general minimum standard, and in conjunction with the ABCD
system provides detailed information about the source of the waste
fibre used.
The NAPM mark indicates a minimum waste content of 75% from categories
B, C and/or D, and the remainder can be from category A or virgin-fibre
pulp.
Most UK produced recycled papers carry this mark, and its absence
from a particular paper may mean that the paper fails to meet the
minimum standard required.
|
|
 Blue
Angel
The German ‘Blue Angel’, awarded to a wide range of consumer
items, specifically indicates that a paper has the highest environmental
credentials, on a 'cradle-to-grave' basis.
This means that it has to be environmentally sound in its manufacture,
its use and its suitability for recycling. It must contain a minimum
of 51% category C and/or D waste.
|
|
HMSO score
The Stationery Office (formerly HMSO) uses a classification system
which favours the post-consumer waste content of a recycled paper.
It awards one point per percent of category C and D content and half
a point per percent of category B, giving a maximum score of 100.
It does not differentiate between C and D waste, but does insist on
a 10% minimum of these post consumer categories.
Some paper mills believe it is unfair because it scores ‘bought-in’
(B) waste but not their own (A) waste. This is less of an issue for
papers gaining a high score, which will be mostly C
and/or D waste.
|
|
Our environmental
rating
Our environmental rating is intended to help you make informed choices
when buying recycled paper products. Like the HMSO
it also uses a 'scoring' system, but it differs in that it gives a
higher score to category D waste because this is the largest and most
easily reclaimed potential source of recycled fibre. Five stars represent
the most environmentally beneficial papers.
|
|
80 - 100% post-consumer waste |
|
|
|
|
|
over 50% post-consumer waste |
|
|
|
|
|
less than 50% post-consumer waste |
|
|
|
|
|
pre-consumer and mill waste only |
All papers listed in our catalogue contain 100% recycled fibre as
defined in the ABCD categories, unless otherwise stated.
|
