Defining Recycled Papers

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Printing on Recycled Paper - FAQ

If you are considering printing on recycled paper here are the answers to frequently asked questions.

What about Quality and Performance?
Improvements in the quality of the recycled paper grades now available mean that their quality and performance is equal to that of virgin paper, particularly if choosing top of the range recycled papers made from 100% de-inked waste, such as the 9lives and Revive brands we use.

Recycled Paper is More Expensive - Right?
Wrong! Recycled paper has aligned with conventional paper prices in recent years due to increase in demand, refinement of the papermaking process and the significant reduction in energy and water needed to make recyled paper compared to conventional paper.

What is Post-Consumer Waste?
This is paper that has been used by the consumer and returned for recycling, thus keeping it out of a landfill. The more post-consumer waste that is incorporated into recycled material the better!

What is Virgin Fibre?
Virgin fibre is new fibre that has never been used by a manufacturer before to make paper or other products.

What is Pre-Consumer Waste?
Pre-consumer waste is the material that occurs as a by-product to the printing process, such as printers trim, make-ready and overs..

How is Ink removed from Paper for Recycling?
Sometimes the ink is not removed from the paper when it is processed but allowed to disperse into the pulp, discolouring it slightly - which is why some recycled paper can have a greyish tinge. However, all of the recycled papers we recommend for printing are de-inked and of a conventional whiteness. If the paper is to be de-inked, this can be done in one of two ways, by washing, flotation or a combination of both methods:

Washing - As the paper is pulped, soaps are added which separate the ink from the paper and allow it to be washed away in water which can then be cleaned and re-used.
Flotation - Air is passed through the pulp, producing foam which will hold at least half of the ink and can be skimmed off. Sometimes the pulp is also bleached; hydrogen peroxide is most commonly used as it breaks down into water and oxygen on disposal, although chlorine bleach is sometimes still used.

Although the de-inking process uses water and chemicals, it is still less harmful to the environment than the manufacturing process of making new paper.

What happens to the Ink?
Ink that is removed from recycled pulp can be burned to generate energy to run the paper mill, or sold to make useful materials such as compost or gravel for roads.

What are ECF and TCF Papers?
ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) and TCF (Totally Chlorine Free) papers are made from pulp which has been bleached using hydrogen peroxide instead of harmful chlorine. Recycled papers are de-inked and if necessary are brightened with hydrogen peroxide or inert, harmless brightening compounds.

What is Acid Free Paper?
Acid free paper has had the acid removed from the pulp leaving it with a neutral pH of 7.

Should I choose Recycled Papers?
Choosing to use recycled paper is an ethical issue and down to either personal or company attitudes towards CSR - Corporate Social Responsibility. However, using recycled paper will:

Reduce landfill - using recycled paper diverts waste paper from entering landfills. Landfills are a source of methane emissions, which are a contributor to global warming. What is equally important is that landfills are rapidly becoming full, and fewer new sites are available.
Continue the demand for recycled materials - recycling is only viable if end-markets are created for the products made from recovered waste paper.
Place less strain on global forest resources - paper recycling optimises the use of a valuable material and reduces the amount of virgin pulp required. Although forests are increasingly managed in a sustainable way there is a need to reduce wastage by using more recycled content.

Some Sobering Thoughts:

Nearly 80% of the world's original old growth forests have been logged or severely degraded. 40% of the world's industrial logging goes into making paper and this is expected to reach 50% in the near future.
Worldwide, the pulp and paper industry is the 5th largest industrial consumer of energy. Producing recycled paper uses up to 70% less energy than virgin paper*, as well as using far less water.

At least 30,000 litres of water.
3000 - 4000 KWh electricity - enough power for an average 3 bedroom house for one year.

Some other definitions:

Recycled Paper
Recycled paper is a broad term with multiple variations. Plainly stated, recycled paper is a grade of paper that contains recycled (post-consumer and/or pre-consumer) fiber. There are recycled paper grades that range from 10% post-consumer to 100% post-consumer recycled. The U.S. EPA has developed guidelines for federally funded purchases that require a minimum of 30% post-consumer content for uncoated printing and writing paper. These standards are generally accepted as de facto (but voluntary) national standards.

Virgin Fiber Paper
Virgin fiber paper is manufactured without the use of any recycled or alternative fibers. Trees are the typical source of the virgin fiber used in the papermaking process. However, virgin fibers can be sourced from agricultural by-products and alternative fibers.

Post-consumer Fiber
Executive Order 13101 defines "post-consumer material" as a material or finished product that has served its intended use and has been discarded for disposal or recovery having completed its life as a consumer item. This is a preferred fiber because it is used in the production of new products instead of being incinerated or sent to a landfill. Recovered office paper waste makes up the majority of post-consumer fiber content that is used to make recycled copy and printing papers.

Pre-consumer Fiber
Pre-consumer fiber materials have not been used and then recycled by a consumer (you and me). These materials include: paper and envelope trimmings, and de-inked pre-consumer material. Pulp fiber that is derived from the production of books, magazines, and newspapers is termed pre-consumer.

Processed Chlorine Free
"Processed Chlorine Free" (PCF) refers to recycled paper in which the recycled content is bleached without chlorine or chlorine derivatives. Typically, PCF papers are often bleached using Hydrogen Peroxide, Oxygen or Ozone. When paper pulp is bleached, the bleaching agent chlorine is combined with lignin to form toxic compounds known as dioxin and furans. These compounds bioaccumulate and are known to cause serious health problems in both animals and humans. Thus, papers that are processed without chlorine are the environmentally preferred choice.

Elemental Chlorine Free
"Elemental Chlorine Free" (ECF) applies to paper processed without elemental chlorine but with a chlorine derivative known as chlorine dioxide. ECF papers meet EPA regulations for bleaching, and chlorine is "non-detectable" by standard required government tests in the effluent of mills that use an ECF bleaching process. Despite these non-detectable levels, more sensitive tests show that small amounts of chlorine are present - making the ECF process not the environmentally preferable bleaching practice.

Totally Chlorine Free
"Totally Chlorine Free" (TCF) applies to virgin fiber papers that are unbleached or processed with a sequence that includes no chlorine or chlorine derivatives.

Alternative Fibers
There are many types of alternative fibers including: hemp, kenaf, cotton, and agricultural by-products such as cereal straws and corn stalks, which have previously been treated as a waste stream.