Are You Buying
Recycled Paper Products

Most of us have become pretty good at recycling paper but when it comes to buying recycled products....Not so good.

If we put together a list of why more of us don't buy recycled paper I think it would look like this:

Maybe not in that order but those are the big three. And unfortunately that won't change as quickly as we might like if we don't make a little more effort to buy recycled products now.

A recent news article showed land in a rain forest covered with stumps of trees that had been cut down in an effort to supply the demand for paper products. A sad sight. Outside of the damage to the rain forest itself, cutting acres upon acres of these trees to supply our needs for something we will throw away just doesn't make sense.

When we lose too many of our trees we make it all the harder to fight global warming. The trees absorb the carbon dioxide that's causing us so many problems and release oxygen.

Managed effectively, trees are a sustainable resource but many of our paper products don't come from trees that have been managed by groups like the FSC. Buying recycled products helps cut our needs for virgin papers and recycled paper products will keep getting better and better and more affordable.

According to the EPA only about 46% of all our paper
is being recycled.

Not All Recycled Paper Products Are Good

Beware of products that claim "made with recycled paper". Recycled materials may be in this product but unless they include percentages such as made with 30% PCW (post consumer waste), we don't know how much and it could be very little. The higher percentage the better.

The paper that has been recycled can't be used forever and in certain applications virgin paper is needed for good results. There will always be a need for virgin paper but to insure that forests are managed with respect for the environment and animal habitat look for paper that has been FSC and chlorine free certified.

A good example is paper made by a company called Neenah Paper. While this company offers several lines of recycled paper one of their lines Environment Premium Recycled Papers is made from 100% post consumer papers, FSC certified, made with 100% green energy and certified processed chlorine free. It doesn't get any better than that.

If you consider our three concerns above as to why we don't buy recycled paper products and this company, we can look at it one by one.

Convenience: This paper might not be found at your local office supply but there may be a distributor in your area. You can find out by clicking the purchase button on Neenah's website and click find local distributor or order online.

Quality: My business needs do not require the use of paper for presentations or other needs of large offices so I am not an expert on paper but based on what this company offers these recycled paper products seem like they would meet the needs for many different applications while offering high quality.

Cost: In comparing this paper to 500 sheets of 24lb. writing paper conventional paper, the pricing was surprisingly comparable. I found this paper at an even better price at The Paper Mill Store. This is another supplier of paper goods with a strong interest in being environmentally responsible.

I suppose this a little more work than running down to the office supply store but you are getting the opportunity to support companies that make recycled paper products. When they are stronger they have more clout and can implement industry changes faster.

Those Daily Necessities:
Toilet Paper, Paper Towels And More

Everyday we use these paper products. They're just part of our life and it's easy to forget where these products come from. They are just a necessity. But this is where we can make a big difference.

The NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) wrote an article showing how many trees could be saved if each of us would purchase one recycled product. Take a look at their website, it's surprising how many trees we could save by making one simple change.

In my house I have made the switch to recycled papers, toilet paper, paper towels and napkins. These I can find locally. It does cost a little more but I can make cuts elsewhere if needed.

There was a little resistance at first, it's not quite as soft or absorbent. So what. It works just fine and it helps the environment. We are used to it by now and no one has come home asking why our toilet paper is not as soft as....

It's getting easier to find recycled paper products at local stores and if you can't, ask for it. Stores want our business and will make the effort to stock more products if we start asking. You can order online but I find it more convenient to try and find these items locally.

Recycled Newspaper Jewelry has come up with a unique fun way to use recycled paper. They make jewelry creations from newspaper, coupons, lottery tickets, sweetener packets and more.

I am fan of Garfield and was quite taken with a brooch made from the comic strip. While not inexpensive they certainly are unique and would make a great gift for us eco chic women.

Hip and Zen carries some recycled paper vases and bowls created in Vietnam using fair trade practices. Very beautiful and sculptural looking.

Quite a few companies make handmade recycled note cards, invitations or gift bags. Twisted Limb has some beautiful handmade paper that can be used to create invitations, programs, thank you notes etc. The flower and seed inclusions along with things like grass clippings create wonderful one of a kind papers.

Along similar lines is Plantable Papers by Bloom. They have been featured on several news shows for their seeded recycled paper. When you are done with this wrapping paper just rip it up and plant it in your garden. The paper has been embedded with wildflowers which with a little water should sprout in a few weeks.

We've been good and are recycling our paper but now we know what a difference we can make just by switching to one recycled paper product. We can make changes one roll of toilet paper at a time.

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