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Environmental Paper
Definitions
About Bleaching
The Paper Industry
Standards and
Environmental Logos  |
Environmental
Paper Definitions |
t is important to remember that not all recycled papers are the same. The best way to be sure that you are purchasing real recycled paper is to ask your supplier for specific information about fibre content and bleaching methods. The following definitions may help you ensure your purchasing has the impact you desire.
Pre-consumer fibre
... is a broad category of paper fibre that basically includes all sources of reused fibre including mill broke and forest waste, like wood chips and sawdust.
Mill Broke ... is internal waste from the manufacturing process at a paper mill. It does not usually get counted as “recycled” content.
Post-commercial fibre
... is any waste recovered after commercial processing but before reaching the end user (ie. envelope clippings, printing waste)
Post-consumer fibre
... is paper that has gone through its intended use (been purchased by a consumer) and then recovered through a recycling program.
Hydrogen Peroxide
... is a non-chlorine bleaching alternative used to whiten paper. It has no toxic by-products, but requires longer processing to achieve the same brightness levels as chlorine.
Process Chlorine Free (PFC)
... means no chlorine or chlorinated compounds are used in the manufacture of a recycled sheet.
Sodium Hypochlorite
... is the most benign of the chlorine compounds. Because it is an inert salt it does not break down into organochlorines during the paper making process.
Chlorine Dioxide ... is a bleaching method that can reduce organochlorine pollution by up to 40% as compared with elemental chlorine. However, it does still produce toxic compounds. Beware of products that claim to be “elemental chlorine free” because they are probably bleached with this method.
Chlorine Bleaching ... currently being called elemental chlorine bleach it has been the favored method of whitening paper in North America until the 1990’s and still is widely used in paper making. Chlorine in the bleaching process is the source of dioxin and other organochlorine pollution. (see About Bleaching for more).
Organochlorines
... chlorine in the bleaching process combines with organic molecules in wood to create a variety of toxic compounds called organochlorines of which dioxin is the most widely associated with paper making. |
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