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EC's Buying Guide: Paper
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Paper, paper, everywhere. There is so much of the stuff you’d think it grew on trees or something! Ok, so in a way it kind of does, but that doesn’t mean we are free to abuse the stuff. Traditionally, the pulp and paper industry have been responsible for some pretty serious environmental damage and is known as a resource-intensive industry sector. Even recycling paper can significantly contribute to pollution due to the sludge produced during the deinking process. According to the National Pollutant Release Inventory, pulp and paper is the third largest industrial polluter to air, water, and land in both Canada and the United States and releases well over 100 million kg of toxic pollution each year! The bottom line? Use less of it. Sustainable procurement and environmentally responsible processing are key to a tree-friendlier world.

The Facts
- The average office worker goes through roughly 10,000 sheets of paper in a single year.
It takes around 19 full-grown trees to make a ton of virgin paper.
- Switching to 100% recycled printing/photocopy paper saves roughly 4,100 kilowatts of energy, 7000 gallons of water, 60 pounds of carbon emissions and 3 cubic yards of landfill space on top of 17 trees per ton.
- Bleaching paper is a highly toxic process and emits persistent dioxins that accumulate in human tissue. Dioxins have been linked to diabetes, immune system suppression, infertility and cancer.
- Producing recycled paper uses 55% less water compared to virgin paper and consumes 60-70% less energy.

What You Can Do
- As a general rule, look for recycled paper with a high percentage of post-consumer content and the minimum of chlorine bleaching.100% post-consumer recycled (PCR), chlorine-free is best.
- Elemental chlorine-free paper is better, but not totally dioxin-free; processed-chlorine-free is best. This paper still uses chlorine derivatives like chlorine dioxide which still has the potential to produce toxic compounds such as chloroform.
- Let suppliers know what you’re looking for! The more pressure on the industry to carry earth-friendlier products, the more likely they will listen.
- Maximize your digital capabilities! Faxing is outdated unless you opt for an e-fax program. Use print preview to assess documents before printing. Limit printing reports in their entirety. Email as much as possible. Request e-Billing when available. Always print on both sides of the page!

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