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We agree with Joyce, and that's why CritterLife, Inc.
uses only Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified papers for all of its note cards and stationery. The FSC is an international organization that brings people together to find
solutions that promote responsible stewardship of the world's forests. Read more about them here.
Isn't it good enough just to use recycled paper? Let's take a closer look...
When
you see the recycled logo on a publication, product packaging or that box of
paper you buy for your home office, what does it mean? Did you know that just about every paper
product you use has some recycled content?
It's easy to see why when you realize that paper can be recycled at
three places in the paper stream:
- at the mill where they recycle off-cuts before the paper even leaves the mill;
- pre-consumer, when paper is discarded prior to its reaching the final consumer (e.g., by printers or stationery manufacturers); and
- post-consumer, when paper already used by the consumer is recycled.
Besides being the largest per-capita consumers of paper in the world, the USA has started recycling a high percentage of the paper we use. While the latter is good news, what does it really mean to see our little overworked and unregulated friend, the recycling logo? Here's the deal:
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If you see this label on a package of paper, they might just be trying to trick you! It means it's recyclable, not already recycled. |
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If you see a recycled label on a package of paper without any further explanation, is this good?! Probably not. It could be 1% recycled and 99% virgin fiber from poorly managed forests. |
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Now you're talking! This label will most likely appear with additional text like "100% post-consumer-waste" or simply "Recycled". It may even say something like "Mixed Sources: 30% post-consumer waste", in which case 70% is from another recycled source. You get the idea. But is 100% recycled paper the best we can buy? |
Another crucial component to throw into the mix is WHERE the paper comes from in the first place. Ummm... trees, of course. But from where were these trees taken and how were they and the surrounding forest harvested and managed?
So, let's take the above 100% label as an example. It's recycled, so it keeps new trees from being harvested, BUT what about the origin of the original paper? Forests (and indeed entire ecosystems) around the world can be devastated by poor management (e.g. clear-cutting), and even recycled paper has entered the paper stream via such destructive methods. How can we find out how a paper product was created?
Here's Where Third-Party Certification Comes In!
Organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC, est. 1993) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC, est. 1999) were formed to improve sustainability of the forestry industry, and these programs' stringent guidelines now govern certification of the forests themselves as well as papers, lumber and other tree-derived products.
The above certifications ensure paper meets the respective independent
body's standards for responsible forest management. Find one of these certifications and the
paper is better than most.
We
can't show you the logos here (they're funny about copyright infringement), but
have a look at the websites below:
Forest Stewardship Council = FSC
= www.fsc.org (most likely to
see here in the USA)
Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes = PEFC
= www.pefc.org
Other Relevant Certifications
There are also other certifications that are great to look for (when used in conjunction with the certifications above):
- Chlorine-Free Certification: The Chlorine-Free Products Association certification means that papers are manufactured without the use of chlorine chemistry and are made from sustainable raw materials. Read more here.
- Green Seal Certification: Means that all recycled papers from a particular company are made with a minimum of 30% post-consumer fiber and that mill processes, including packaging, are environmentally preferable. Read more here.
- Green-e Certification: Identifies products that are made with renewable energy including, but not limited to, wind, solar, hydroelectric and biomass. Read more here.
- EPA Green Power
Partnership: Similar to Green-e certification is the EPA's recognition of use of
various renewable energy resources to manufacture recycled papers. Read more here.
We've
only included North-American initiatives here. Please contact us if you'd like to know more.
