If you haven’t reviewed your options in environmentally friendly paper in a while, it might be time to do so. There are currently more than 50 papers on the market made from recycled paper, 20 of which contain 100-percent recycled content. Others contain anywhere from 10-percent to 90-percent recycled content and brightness levels up to 97. Many are also produced using more environmentally friendly bleaching processes, such as processed-chlorine free or elemental-chlorine free processes (see box below).
Supply seems to be keeping pace with demand, and as more publishers are committing to improving their environmental footprints, including giant Random House (see story on page 10), more papers are becoming available. Currently, some 100 publishers have made commitments to the guidelines set forth by the Green Press Initiative (GPI), a nonprofit organization that helps publishers improve their environmental impact.
“As publishers have increasingly communicated their wishes for environmentally sound papers, the supply chain has responded. In fact, over 20 book papers with strong environmental attributes have been developed in the past few years,” says Tyson Miller, executive director of GPI. “It is really encouraging.”
Also, more printers are now making environmentally friendly papers readily available, notes Erin Johnson, program manager at GPI, which maintains a list of printers that stock such papers, meaning the papers are available immediately and don’t need to be special ordered (often meaning higher prices).
“Sheridan Books became our second official GPI-participating printer. Several printers have reported changes to their eco paper stocks including Friesens, Malloy, Sheridan, Thomson-Shore and Webcom. Also, Odyssey Press has joined our list,” she says. And, she notes, “Some printers are pricing recycled sheets very competitively.” —Noelle Skodzinski