Different types of recycled paper for sustainable printing

Different types of recycled paper for sustainable printing

Each year around 15.3 billion trees are chopped down and approximately 4 billion of these are used in the production of paper. The loss of trees has a profound impact on the environment; it destroys birds and animals’ habitats; it reduces shade in the forest which impacts other plants and it reduces the amount of oxygen that is released into the air. Which is bad for everyone!

Because of this, businesses are encouraged to be as green as possible. One easy way of reducing your business’s carbon footprint is to switch from using regular paper to recycled paper.

What is the difference between regular and recycled paper?

Regular paper is sometimes referred to as ‘virgin paper’ because it is made from trees which have been specially cut down for use in paper production. The timber is cut and sent off to mills where it is pulped and made into paper. Whereas recycled paper is made from other waste-paper products.

Surprisingly, there are slight differences in the type of recycled paper that is on offer:

Post-consumer recycled paper

The most common type of recycled paper, post-consumer recycled paper is made from other paper products such as newspapers, junk mail, documents and cardboard containers which have been collected from individuals or businesses. The paper is pulped and sometimes bleach is added to remove any colour. It is then made into recycled paper.

Pre-consumer recycled paper

Pre-consumer recycled paper is made from paper products which haven’t previously been used either because they weren’t sold or because they weren’t needed. These include things like cardboard boxes, magazines, newspapers and books. These products are collected from warehouses or stores, pulped and possibly bleached. It is then made into recycled paper for use by businesses, schools and charities etc.

Can I use recycled paper in my business?

The simple answer is a resounding ‘Yes’ and we encourage as many of our customers to use recycled paper wherever possible. As well as being used in the office for printing, recycled paper can also be used in:

If you’re interested in using more recycled paper in your business, fill out our online enquiry form leaving your name, a contact number or email and a brief message and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss how you can swap out regular paper for recycled paper.