April 28, 2008 | Filed under: Paper Stats by Nick

Today, I came across the following information in a fact sheet by the Environmental Paper Network:

Fibers from virgin forests make up approximately two-thirds of the pulp that goes into papers made at North American paper mills. But this percentage varies considerably by type of paper. For example, many kinds of packaging include high levels of recycled content. But, even though printing and office papers make up more than a quarter of all U.S. paper production, less than 6% of their fibers come from recycling. In other words, more than 90% of printing and office paper has no recycled content at all. Instead, they are made almost entirely from “virgin” fibers, meaning those harvested for their first use.

The fact sheet goes on to say:

As global demand for paper rises and developing countries emulate the paper use of developed countries, it is increasingly ever more important to use paper wisely and increase the use of recycled fiber in order to protect the world’s forests and waters and to reduce toxic emissions and climate change.

We respect the Environmental Paper Network immensely and they have developed an incredible online resource. We are 100% on board with their take-home message to use less paper, and to recycle what you must use. We tip our hats to them and look forward to helping businesses connect with cost-effective solutions to work towards these noble goals.