How you can make a difference

Paper Buyers' Checklist

Your paper choice really can make a difference to the environment!

If you want to examine how your paper choice can make a difference to the environment, this guide is for you. The guide is practical, tried, and tested. It could help you fulfil the promise of your organisation’s environmental policy without damaging your budget. Using the attached Checklist is a positive move to improve the environmental performance of your office. If you do not have a formal environmental policy, here is a good place to start. All you need is determination and persistence! The Forum will help with the rest.

The life cycle of paper

Despite the growth in electronic communications, paper is still an essential part of office life. To reduce the environmental impact of your organisation’s paper consumption, it is important to consider as far as possible the full lifecycle of the paper.

All paper is not the same. Some production systems have a significantly lower environmental impact than others. By taking the trouble to find out about the production of paper you can choose the environmentally better product, and so encourage further improvements in others. The Checklist helps you to show suppliers that you care!

Paper is a potentially sustainable product.

It is mainly made from natural renewable materials - usually specially planted trees or recycled waste paper. But every industrial production process, however good, has an environmental impact. We need to reduce all these impacts.

Reducing consumption of paper is an obvious way to reduce impacts. In addition to reducing your costs, this will mean:

less pressure to cut down old-growth forests and plant "tree-crops", leaving more natural forest undisturbed.
lower disposal costs, and less pressure on already limited landfill space.

The simplest way to reduce usage is to use both sides of the paper. Even using a better, more expensive paper will save money and reduce consumption if you can start to use both sides of the sheet. Always use the lightest acceptable ‘grammage’. Be careful to choose the right specification, and minimise waste. Do not over-specify, but be aware that using a paper that is not up to the job can cause excessive waste.

Effect of paper choice

Having looked at reducing paper consumption and waste, consider how your paper choice can minimize the environmental impact of your organisation.

There are four main manufacturing issues to be considered. These are:

The source of fibre
The production process (including the bleaching system)
The fuel used to produce power
Commitment to overall improvement of environmental performance

Each of these are discussed below.

Additional issues are:

How you order paper. Just in time deliveries are very fuel inefficient.
How good are you at disposing of your waste paper in a responsible way? Are you re-using and recycling as much as possible? Recycling is a major contributor to developing a more sustainable system.

These are some of the issues to investigate - and, before you get worried - it is not as difficult as it might seem - if you have a supportive supplier! The Checklist will help you get the answers in a simple format, so that you can compare papers and make an informed decision.

Summary - the basics

Reduce consumption and waste; use both sides of the paper; it is better to use both sides of a better paper than one side of a cheaper one; always use the lightest acceptable ‘grammage’.

Demand information about your paper - and be prepared to change supplier or brand if you are not satisfied; look for recognised environmental management standards (e.g. EMAS, ISO 14001) and INDEPENDENT environmental assessment systems (e.g. Nordic Swan)

Use recycled papers containing post-consumer waste whenever you can, and recycle your own office waste.

Check-list

Analysis of environmental impact should take into account the whole life cycle, if possible. In the case of paper it is raw materials, production, and eventual disposal which are the main concerns. The Checklist will help you identify the comparative performances of papers in the first two areas.

Take a look at our Checklist form (and Guidance Notes o help completion. If you join the TSOF, we will send you a pdf copy of the form laid out for you to print out and send to your paper suppliers, one to be completed for each brand of paper you use currently, or which you want to consider. The data you gather in this standard format will help you make an objective comparison. You will assess which paper has the environmentally better performance.

Mission Statement
Benefits to members
Mythbusters




					Paper Buyers' Checklist
		Your paper choice really can make a difference to the environment! If you want to examine how your paper choice can make a difference to the environment, this guide is for you. The guide is practical, tried, and tested. It could help you fulfil the promise of your organisation’s environmental policy without damaging your budget. Using the attached Checklist is a positive move to improve the environmental performance of your office. If you do not have a formal environmental policy, here is a good place to start. All you need is determination and persistence! The Forum will help with the rest. The life cycle of paper Despite the growth in electronic communications, paper is still an essential part of office life. To reduce the environmental impact of your organisation’s paper consumption, it is important to consider as far as possible the full lifecycle of the paper.
		All paper is not the same. Some production systems have a significantly lower environmental impact than others. By taking the trouble to find out about the production of paper you can choose the environmentally better product, and so encourage further improvements in others. The Checklist helps you to show suppliers that you care! Paper is a potentially sustainable product.
		It is mainly made from natural renewable materials - usually specially planted trees or recycled waste paper. But every industrial production process, however good, has an environmental impact. We need to reduce all these impacts. Reducing consumption of paper is an obvious way to reduce impacts. In addition to reducing your costs, this will mean: less pressure to cut down old-growth forests and plant "tree-crops", leaving more natural forest undisturbed. lower disposal costs, and less pressure on already limited landfill space. The simplest way to reduce usage is to use both sides of the paper. Even using a better, more expensive paper will save money and reduce consumption if you can start to use both sides of the sheet. Always use the lightest acceptable ‘grammage’. Be careful to choose the right specification, and minimise waste. Do not over-specify, but be aware that using a paper that is not up to the job can cause excessive waste. Effect of paper choice Having looked at reducing paper consumption and waste, consider how your paper choice can minimize the environmental impact of your organisation. There are four main manufacturing issues to be considered. These are: The source of fibre The production process (including the bleaching system) The fuel used to produce power Commitment to overall improvement of environmental performance Each of these are discussed below. Additional issues are: How you order paper. Just in time deliveries are very fuel inefficient. How good are you at disposing of your waste paper in a responsible way? Are you re-using and recycling as much as possible? Recycling is a major contributor to developing a more sustainable system. These are some of the issues to investigate - and, before you get worried - it is not as difficult as it might seem - if you have a supportive supplier! The Checklist will help you get the answers in a simple format, so that you can compare papers and make an informed decision. Summary - the basics Reduce consumption and waste; use both sides of the paper; it is better to use both sides of a better paper than one side of a cheaper one; always use the lightest acceptable ‘grammage’. Demand information about your paper - and be prepared to change supplier or brand if you are not satisfied; look for recognised environmental management standards (e.g. EMAS, ISO 14001) and INDEPENDENT environmental assessment systems (e.g. Nordic Swan) Use recycled papers containing post-consumer waste whenever you can, and recycle your own office waste. Check-list Analysis of environmental impact should take into account the whole life cycle, if possible. In the case of paper it is raw materials, production, and eventual disposal which are the main concerns. The Checklist will help you identify the comparative performances of papers in the first two areas. Take a look at our Checklist form (and Guidance Notes o help completion. If you join the TSOF, we will send you a pdf copy of the form laid out for you to print out and send to your paper suppliers, one to be completed for each brand of paper you use currently, or which you want to consider. The data you gather in this standard format will help you make an objective comparison. You will assess which paper has the environmentally better performance.