Buzzwords like ‘sustainable’ and ‘eco-friendly’ don’t necessarily mean the product or its production method are good for the environment or the people who create the product so it’s important to be correctly informed about the products you’re using.
We’re fortunate to live in one of the leading countries in the use of recycled paper. More than half of all fibre used in Australia to make paper now comes from recycled material (Australia's Wood and Paper Industry, Nov 2019) and our recovery of paper products is now at 60% (National Waste Report 2018). Australia’s Environment ministers have endorsed a national target of 100% of packaging designed to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) in their helpful publication Sustainable Packaging Guidelines sums up their 2025 National Packaging Targets for Australia as:
100% of all Australia’s packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025 or earlier;
70% of Australia’s plastic packaging will be recycled or composted by 2025;
50% average recycled content will be included across all packaging by 2025; and
Problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic packaging will be phased out through design, innovation or introduction of alternatives.
Australia is on track to making eco-friendly products the norm rather than the exception.
So get on board.
The future is coming
and paper’s going to be a big part of it.
Paper is one of the most environmentally friendly materials we have. It can be sustainably grown over the long term and recycled multiple times as well as provide thousands of jobs for Australians in this $3.7b industry.
The paper manufactured in Australia mainly comes from managed regrowth
or planted forests where the cycle of planting, growing and harvesting
is carefully controlled.
The Australian paper and pulp industry is growing trees,
and that’s great for the environment.
Glide Print.
We’re your print solution.
FAQs
Why use recycled paper?
The major reason is so you’re doing your bit for the environment by not using paper sourced from old growth forests or sending more paper to landfill. Creating new paper takes almost twice the energy and uses 35,000 more litres of water per ton than recycling does.
A secondary reason is that you’re responding to consumer calls for more to be done about the environment. Using recycled paper communicates that you care and are an environmentally responsible business. It also can also look fantastic!
How is paper recycled?
Recycled paper is new paper made from paper that has been already used.
The recycled paper is placed into a large vat that reduces it to individual fibres, turning it into a paper slurry. That is then washed, removing contaminants such as staples, plastic and any other non-fibre materials. The 2% that is lost during this process becomes compost, landfill cover, or feedstock for water treatment systems. The clean paper slurry is then moved through a series of screens that drain out the water. The remaining paper fibres are pressed and dried into large sheets of paper.
If you’d like to see how it’s done, check out this 70-second video of Australian Paper’s Maryvale Recycling Plant in action.
Types of recycled paper
Technological advances in the recycled paper industry now means that you no longer need to handle printing on recycled paper any differently to first-use paper.
Recycled paper is available in a range of whiteness from natural to bright white. The whitest papers are comparable to virgin fibre papers, and the natural papers look more like traditional recycled paper.
Is rag paper different?
Rag paper is made from used cotton or linen cloth. It’s more durable than wood fibre paper and will last longer. It can also be recycled. You can use paper with varying percentages of recycled and rag content. Call us if you’re interested in this specialty paper.
What’s the print industry doing about its responsibilities?
It’s a big issue that will take time to address, but the print industry is active in making positive steps towards sustainability. Many brands in the sector have already committed to the eco-friendlier alternative and are developing recycled papers that replicate the bright white quality of conventional paper—making the use of recycled paper more feasible and attractive to the consumer.
Doesn’t paper PRODUCTION cut down old forests?
There’s a lot of misinformation about this issue. Australian forests are far more protected than it would seem from media hype. See this recent article, Forestry facts rather than furphies, published by the Tasmanian Minister for Resources about the current protests in Tasmania for a more balanced view and an excellent overview of the actual situation in Australia.
Australia’s plantations currently account for more than half of our production of wood and paper products in Australia and will be the source for much of the further growth of the wood and paper industry in Australia. There are currently 1.1 million hectares of plantations in Australia. The expansion of these plantations is a key goal of the National Forest Policy Statement (NFPS) and the Federal Government's recently announced Wood and Paper Industry Strategy.
Over 90% of Australia’s commercial native forest operations are independently certified to comply with the world’s best sustainable forest management practices. This is compared to the global average of 8%, making Australia a leader in ensuring the sustainability of forest practices (Australia's State of the Forests Report 2018).
Is all recycled paper OKAY for the environment?
The best paper to use is made from used paper collected by your local council or scrap paper merchants. Some paper labelled ’recycled’ is actually the faulty paper that the mill has put back through the process and is essentially just repeating the original paper manufacture.
Genuine recycled paper is “post-consumer recycled”. Often the genuine article has flecks of other materials in it and is not as white. Those small concessions are worth it for the value that recycling brings to the environment and to support the recycling industry.
Look out for labels that say things like “made with” (instead of “made from”), “recyclable”, “recycle” or “recycled content” as they are unlikely to be the real thing.
What can be made from recycled paper?
An endless array of products can be made - envelopes, stationery, tags, boxes, carry bags, folders, copy paper, book covers, gift wrapping, table cloths and many more. Recycled paper has a natural, rustic look that is highly appealing to consumers and makes your products stand out.
Can you recycle
recycled paper?
Absolutely! Paper fibres can be recycled up to five times.