Post-consumer fibers are recovered from paper that was previously used by con-sumers and would otherwise have been dumped into a landfill. Some tips to keep in mind when select-ing a company to purchase green paper products from include the following: Look for keywords: Look for the word “post-consumer” when shopping. While watching for the post-consumer content logo helps, not every product made from recycled content is labeled with this symbol. Go chlorine-free: Paper products are bleached to make them whiter and brighter, but chlorine used in many bleaching processes contributes to the formation of harmful chemicals that wind up in our air and water and are highly toxic to people and fish. Using less chlorine decreases carbon dioxide emissions by reducing the amount of electricity generated. Look for products labeled totally chlorine-free (TCF) or processed chlorine-free (PCF). In some cases, elemental chlo-rine-free (ECF) may be acceptable. If the facilities in which you clean have recycling programs and purchase recycled goods, there is a good change that you have utilized paper products previously used by others. Do your research: Identify paper companies that recycle all types of paper including newspaper, office paper, cardboard, packaging, maga-zines, junk mail, paper towels, facial tissues and even some construction materials. These materials can be made into a wide variety of paper products that are less harmful and just as effective when cleaning your business or facility. It is important to do business with paper companies that produce their products in regional facilities, which helps eliminate fuel usage and cuts down on street traffic. Rigorous scientific research supports the benefits of recycled paper, and government agencies, environmental groups and many other large purchasers have adopted poli-cies mandating its use. As a business owner, you can be assured that you are doing the right thing for the environment by buying recycled paper. CM Circle Product Information no. 202 on page 32 www.cmmonline.com 25
CMM – Archives Jun 2010: 25
