A True Environmentally Responsible Paper is More than Just Recycled Paper

Posted • November 9, 2008 • 1 Comment

Can I go green in using paper in my office and at home?

We all use paper in our day to day operations and sometimes we will even print on our own. Have you ever thought if you could be more green and use some sort of “green” paper? A true environmentally responsible paper is more than just recycled paper.

I have done a little research and found that you can be a little more responsible to sustainability and still get your in-house printing done. But will it break the bank?

I decided to go to a website listed on a brochure I had been given recently. What enticed me to investigate this particular company was that brochure. It started out with the phrase “Join the ECO>lution responsible paper for every environment – Introducing our environmental certifications.”

I went to the Wausau website to see how easy they were to find and the price of papers that might be considered sustainable. My first step was to go to the printing & writing retail products page. It was interesting to find no mention of anything they had talked about in their brochure. I decided to choose a paper I might be interested in for business and personal use and investigate further. The only white 24 lb. Writing paper listed on the page was Stardust.

Absolutely no mention of anything referred to in the brochure again.

Stardust™ White Paper
No matter what you’re using it for, this brilliant white paper with multi-colored flecks is always a star.

500 sheets, 8 1/2 x 11, 24 lb. Writing
Item Number: 22318
Announcements
Brochures & Pamphlets
Copy Projects
Everyday Printing
Flyers & Notices
Home & Office
Presentations & Reports
School
School Projects
Scrapbooks

So I decided to really look at some of the paper they were talking about in the brochure.

Bingo! Exact Eco 100 fits the bill.
Exact Eco 100® an environmentally-responsible paper you’ll feel good about using. Made with 100% recycled post-consumer fiber, Exact Eco 100® multipurpose paper is acid-free, lignin-free, and inkjet, laser, copier, and offset guaranteed.

The only trouble was there is no information on this product.

OK. Let’s try again. I found another one from the brochure, Exact®.
In today’s multi-tasking world, you should use a paper that works just as hard as you do. Our Exact brands are designed to meet your everyday printing needs – including copiers, inkjet printers, laser printers and more. These papers are as multipurpose as you are. Because precision and quality always count, choose a Wausau Paper Exact brand.

Interesting they never mention anything about environmentally-responsible paper here. It is listed on the brochure. I went back and checked out the brochure and I found this caveat:
Most or all papers within the following product lines are Green Seal certified and contain 30% recycled post-consumer fiber.

I was really disappointed they didn’t hit you with their “ECO>lution” right off the bat on their home page. As I tried to find this touted environmentally-responsible paper I began to understand why. This fancy brochure from wausauPAPER is just a marketing ploy. It isn’t in their hearts it is in their pocket books.

So did I answer my question? “Can I go green in using paper in my office and at home?” Not at all. I didn’t find any products or prices. Well for those of us that are trying to do our part we will just have to work harder and investigate compare and shop wisely.

Late,
Gary Pool

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