Definition of Recycled Paper
Paper purchasing can seem like a simple, routine task, but now that environmental concerns have come into the picture, the process can be much more complicated. The guide below can help you sort out some of the factors in the world of recycled paper.
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Types
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Recycled paper is a broad term, generally applied to any sort of environmentally friendly paper. When most people hear the term recycled, they are thinking of postconsumer recycling--a product made of materials already used by consumers. Recycled paper, though, can also be preconsumer, generally meaning it is made of scraps from the mill that were not used in making finished paper.
Recycled paper can also include non-wood sources, such as agricultural residue or non-wood crops intentionally grown to be harvested for fiber.
Benefits
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Any recycled product comes with the benefit of reduced waste. Less energy is used in the production of new materials, and fewer raw materials need to be gathered to create new products.
The paper industry in particular is one of largest energy users and pollution creators. According to Treecycle, recycling reduces water pollution by 35 percent and air pollution by 74 percent. The processing of recycled paper uses less water than creating new paper, and, of course, has the added benefit of leaving more trees standing.
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Features
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A few other factors make some types of recycled paper more environmentally beneficial than others. Chlorine and its compounds are generally used to bleach paper; otherwise, it would be the same brown as a grocery bag or cardboard box. These chemicals are particularly harmful to the aquatic environment. Totally chlorine-free papers use no chlorine or chlorine compounds, and are much less common than elementally chlorine-free papers, which use no chlorine but may use a chlorine derivative.
Some papers are produced in ways that are compatible with sustainable forestry. Paper and paper products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council come from trees harvested with consideration for wildlife, habitat destruction, water pollution and other factors.
Misconceptions
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As with any recycled product, recycled paper is not without its misconceptions. A common concern is that recycled paper jams copiers or creates dust due to its shorter fibers. The fact is, as the process has become better developed, most recycled papers have quality that's high enough to use in copiers; some low-quality non-recycled papers can jam those machines, too.
Many are suspicious of the recycling process itself, claiming it uses more energy and creates more waste than it saves. It's estimated that paper can be recycled up to 12 times, diverting an enormous amount of waste from landfills and saving large amounts of energy in logging and production. Recycled paper processing does produce a larger amount of sludge than virgin paper production, but, according to Conservatree, the sludge concentrates waste materials that would otherwise end up in landfills or waste streams, and generally is not toxic because safer chemicals are being used in the manufacturing process.
Considerations
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Paper can be labeled recycled if even a tiny percentage of it is made from preconsumer or postconsumer material. And just because it is recycled doesn't guarantee that it is manufactured with any of the other environmental considerations cited above. Check the packaging for the type and percentage of recycled paper content. For assistance in buying, check the Environmental Defense Fund's Paper Calculator (see the link below). The calculator allows consumers to compare the overall environmental impact of a baseline paper with various recycled papers.
Keep in mind that many of the best recycled paper products are not widely available in stores. Treecycle.com and GreenlinePaper.com are among the web sites that sell recycled paper, and offer other environmental information.
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