Paper Office Products Containing Recovered Materials

Try to buy paper with the highest postconsumer content available.   The U.S. EPA recommends minimum recycled content levels to look for when purchasing paper office products, as shown in the following table. In some cases, rather than specifying just one level of recycled content, ranges are offered that reflect actual market conditions.

 

ITEM

NOTES

POSTCONSUMER
CONTENT (%)

Printing and Writing Papers

Reprographic

Business papers such as bond, ink-jet and multi-purpose, electrostatic, copy, mimeo, duplicator and reproduction

30

Offset

Used for book publishing, commercial printing, direct mail, technical documents, and manuals

30

Tablet

Office paper such as note pads and notebooks

30

Forms bond

Bond type papers used for business forms such as continuous, cash register, sales book, unit sets, and computer printout, excluding carbonless

30

Envelope

Wove
Kraft, white and colored (including manila)
Kraft, unbleached
Excludes custom envelopes

30
10-20
10

Cotton fiber

High-quality papers used for stationery, invitations, currency, ledgers, maps, and other specialty items

30

Text and cover

Premium papers used for cover stock, books, and stationery and matching envelopes

30

Supercalendered

Groundwood paper used for advertisements and mail order inserts, catalogs, and some magazines

10

Machine finished groundwood

Groundwood paper used in magazines and catalogs

10

Papeteries

Used for invitations and greeting cards

30

Check safety

Used in the manufacture of commercial and government checks

10

Coated

Used for annual reports, posters, brochures, and magazines Have gloss, dull, or matte finishes

10

Carbonless

Used for multiple-impact copy forms

30

File folders

Manila or colored

30

Dyed filing products

Used for multicolored hanging folders and wallet files

20

Index and card stock

Used for index cards and postcards

20

Pressboard

High-strength paperboard used in binders and report covers

20

Tags and tickets

Used for toll and lottery tickets, licenses, and identification and tabulating cards

20

Newsprint

Newsprint

Groundwood paper used in newspapers

20-85

Paperboard and Packaging Products

Corrugated containers

(<300 psi)
(300 psi)

Used for packaging and shipping a variety of goods


25-50
25-30

Solid fiber boxes

Used for specialized packaging needs such as dynamite packaging and army ration

40

Folding cartons

Used to package a wide variety of foods, household products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, detergent, and hardware

40-80

Industrial paperboard

Used to create tubes, cores, cans, and drums

45-100

Miscellaneous

Includes “chipboard” pad backings, book covers, covered binders, mailing tubes, game boards, and puzzles

75-100

Padded mailers

Made from kraft paper that is usually brown but can be bleached white

5-15

Carrierboard

A type of folding carton designed for multitask beverage cartons

10-15

Brown papers

Used for bags and wrapping paper

5-20

Miscellaneous Paper Products

Tray liners

Used to line food service trays
Often contains printed information

50-75

 

When selecting paper, consider the highest postconsumer recycled content, at least meeting the EPA’s minimum recommended percentages. Adding Processed Chlorine Free (PCF), and Forest Stewardship Council-certified forest fibers or alternative “tree-free” fibers to paper with recycled content can provide an even more environmentally preferable paper. The most preferable choice will depend on what is available, affordable and needed.

Sample Specifications

You may not need to adjust your existing specifications at all, except to include the postconsumer recycled content standard. Brightness is being dropped from specifications because it is an aesthetic, not a functional, characteristic. If you must specify brightness, a minimum of 84 should satisfy your needs.

Opacity is more important than brightness today because double-sided copies must be legible. The following specifications are a good model to follow for copy paper:

 

ATTRIBUTE

SPECIFICATION

Grade:

4

Recycled Content:

30% postconsumer

Basis Weight:

20 lb. (or sub 20)

Color:

White or list colors

Opacity:

Minimum 85

Equipment Used:

List what equipment is used

 

For Additional information, visit Bids and Specifications used by the Alameda County General Services Agency.  Examples include environmental criteria for postconsumer recycled content and disclosure of whitening technology for office paper, and use of recycled content paper and Alameda County Green Businesses for printing services.