Choosing recycled paper products reduces the demand for virgin pulp, uses less water and energy, and creates a market for paper collected through recycling programs. Each ton of post-consumer-waste recycled paper saves 17 trees, 4,100kwh of energy and a whopping 26,000 litres of water. Presently there isn't a 100% post-consumer-waste recycled content white copy paper that is manufactured in Australia, so it's a trade off between paper imported from Europe, or buying a locally made product with a lower recycled content. Avoid imported, non-labelled, paper products. These are often from Asia and connected with illegal logging.
- Look for products with: a high percentage of post- consumer-waste recycled content; a high percentage of fibre sourced from sustainably managed plantations (i.e. FSC ' Forest Stewardship Council ' certification); and/or alternative fibres such as hemp, kenaf and bagasse.
- See the Wilderness Society's guide to ethical paper.
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