Recycled paper content

Introduction

The WRAPP Loop

Both recycling and buying recycled products is called ‘closing the loop’.

The world has a huge appetite for paper. Last year approximately 210,000 tonnes of office paper were used in Australia. Recycled content paper has not had a good reputation in the past, often accused of damaging office machines and generally being of low quality. However, increasing numbers of high quality recycled content papers are now available due to improvements in waste recovery and paper manufacturing processes. Paper with recycled content is often labelled ‘recycled’ or made from ‘waste fibre’, ‘pre-consumer’ or ‘post-consumer waste’. Many recycled papers now out-perform and are cost competitive with virgin paper counterparts.

Why buy recycled content paper?

The NSW Government is committed to leading by example. Whole-of-government procurement policy requires agencies to incorporate environmental principles into business practices and policies. Encouraging markets for recycled content products and reducing waste are key strategies of the policy. Buying recycled content paper makes good economic, social and environmental sense by:

using our valuable resources more efficiently
reducing the cost of waste disposal
meeting community expectations
protecting the environment.

The Waste Reduction and Purchasing Policy (WRAPP) is helping government agencies to increase purchasing of recycled content, and to include environmental criteria in other purchasing decisions as well.

Buy

A major consumer

The NSW Government is a major consumer of paper, spending over $18 million on paper contracts.

Start to close the loop by researching the paper and stationery products that are currently being purchased by your agency. This will identify opportunities where virgin paper can be easily substituted by recycled content paper. Ask your supplier or manufacturer for details if you are unsure of the recycled content of a paper or stationery product.

Ask your supplier about the types of recycled content paper or stationery they stock. If they don’t stock recycled paper ask them whether they can get it or use another supplier. A range of recycled content paper is available on government contract (contact State Procurement-Department of Commerce for details).

Choosing which paper to buy depends on how it is to be used, as well as availability and cost. Other environmental factors can also be considered in purchasing decisions, including the source of the pulp, pre-consumer versus post-consumer content, bleaching processes.

When replacing office equipment be sure to ask potential suppliers if their machines can use recycled paper.

More about buying the WRAPP way >>

Use

An interesting fact...

All photocopiers on NSW State Procurement contracts can use good quality recycled content paper.

Recycled content paper can be substituted for virgin paper in most situations. Research how paper is being used in offices and within your agency. Key areas include general office use, forms, correspondence, records and printed publications. Doing this will quickly identify where recycled content paper can be used. Most office paper is used internally (particularly for filing) and therefore does not have to be perfectly white.

Some people think recycled content paper is not white enough and may reflect poorly on their agency. However, many new kinds of recycled content papers are now white enough to compare favourably with virgin papers. Many high-quality recycled content papers are now available which are suitable for printed publications, such as annual reports.

Check the ability of your office machines to use recycled content paper. All photocopiers purchased on NSW Government contracts can use good quality recycled content paper. Some printer manufacturers may void warranties if recycled content paper is used in their machines: ask the manufacturer or supplier about this, and avoid purchasing machines that have this restriction.

NSW Government guidelines recommend that virgin paper be used for records archived for more than
10 years. This is often given as a reason for not using recycled content paper. However, many documents currently being archived do not need to be held for long periods, and therefore do not have to be printed on virgin paper. Find out which documents need to be held for more than 10 years and which ones don’t.

More about using the WRAPP way >>