In This Section
- Overview
- Recycled products
- Fiber: Recycled vs Virgin
- Recycled Vs Never Used
- Paper vs Electronic
- Deciphering Recycling
- Direct Marketing is Greener
- Go Vinyl Free in 2010
- Quantifying Environmental Impact
- The Low-Carb Binder goes Beyond
- A "No-Vinyl Binders" Review
- UPS goes carbon neutral
- Eco-friendly, Recycled Tabs: The better choice
- Are Corporations Committed to Green?
- Variable Data Printing: An Overview
- From pURLs to Profit
- Digital vs. Print Media: Who is the Eco-Heavyweight?
- Broadcast your Green
- Making the Case for Books
- GreenFest Wrap-Up: DC Goes Green!
- 7 Reasons Print Will Make a Comeback in 2011
- How to Go Green: Office Edition
- Go Paper. Grow Trees.™
Fiber: Recycled vs. Virgin
There is an ongoing debate about the usage of recycled fibers as opposed to virgin fibers.
More than one-third of the fibers used by the paper industry comes from recycled fiber. Compared to other industries, the amount of Post Consumer Waste used in the production process is significant.
The content of recycled material is even greater when you take into account pre-consumer waste (paper waste that never reached consumers) and the usage of mill broke. Broke is the waste generated in the process of making paper. It is re-introduced in the process of making pulp, decreasing the need for virgin fibers. Even though recycled paper requires water and energy, the level of pollution created in the process uses one-third less water and two-thirds less air compared to virgin fiber (EPA).
Pre-Consumer Waste, recycled broke, and Post Consumer Waste (PCW) are all used in the process of making recycled paper.
The opposite line of thought is that using virgin fibers from responsible and sustainable managed forests promotes reforestation which is a critical factor in fighting greenhouse gas effects. Major forest certification programs like FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiatives) are leading forces behind responsible and environmentally managed forests.
