15 Jul Recycling myths

Whilst we have a strongly defined ‘green policy’ at adverset media solutions, I can never avoid chuckling when we have a request for colour printing on recycled paper. Whilst we are perfectly happy to print on recycled paper or board, we always try to point out the rationale to the client. The facts surrounding recycled stocks are amusingly contradictory and are only encouraged by a business person’s penchant to ‘blindly follow’ current trends.

A laugh a minute

The fact is that the way recycled paper and board for printing is branded and marketed is a bundle of laughs in itself. Most merchants will sell several ‘grades’ of recycled paper, namely 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% recycled. Therefore a 25% recycled paper branded product means that 25% of the content of the wood/pulp is recycled and so forth. Quite why an eco-conscious responsible buyer would wish to purchase something that is only partially recycled is quite beyond me. You either commit to fully recycled (100%), or otherwise why bother?

Here’s some other potentially comical facts:

1. The quality of a printed product produced recycled papers suffers in that – particularly on an uncoated recycled stock – there are visible fibres and annoying marks which detract from the content.

2. The refinement methods employed in manufacturing recycled stocks involve chemical processes and therefore present a contradiction regarding an environmentally friendly stance.

3. Most popular standard (unrecycled) papers and boards are now FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) accredited which means that they are sourced from sustainable forests. In any event, surely this makes recycling redundant?

4. Here’s the best one – are you ready?
Recycled papers and boards are actually on average 20% more expensive than good quality FSC accredited papers and boards.

5. …and finally – recyled stocks can be a sod to print on with poor results.

To sum up, the branding and marketing of paper is much like politics – painfully contradictory, inconsistent and annoying.

Here endeth the sermon!

Useful links:

Forestry Stewardship Council
Paper Recycling Fact Sheet