Papermaking & Paper Selection

[Susan Snipes]

Papermaking

Paper may be made from virgin fiber (directly from trees), preconsumer waste (waste from the converting process that cannot be sold or is reused in the papermaking process), post-consumer waste (paper that has been printed, delivered and collected again from consumers), or a combination of these types.

Other materials such as cotton, kenak, hemp and bamboo can be used in papermaking as an alternative to wood fibers.

Paper Selection

When selecting paper, keep in mind that sustainability is not simply a matter of maximizing recycled content. Energy used in manufacture and transport, chlorine content and other chemical content, sustainable forestry, and other factors should be considered. Proximity of the mill to the printer should also be considered. A recycled paper that is flown across the ocean is less sustainable than a sustainably harvested virgin-fiber paper that has to travel only a few miles.