The benefits of using recycled office paper and your questions answered

We all want to do our bit for the planet and reduce the impact we have on it. In this guide we look at the benefits of using recycled paper and why it is better for the environment than traditionally made virgin pulp papers, and hopefully answer all the questions you may have

• Why should I use recycled paper?

The answer to this is quite simple. Recycled paper has a whole host of environmental benefits particularly in respect to how it is made compared to standard white copier paper. In production making recycled paper uses 72% less energy, 83% less water, 53% less CO2 & most importantly uses zero trees.

• Why is recycled paper brown?

Brown or sometimes an off white is the natural colour of paper when it is produced. To make paper white bleaching agents and other chemicals are added at the start of the process to produce the finished product. There are some recycled office papers on the market that are white but these papers have basically been bleached which in my humble view makes purchasing the recycled product in the first place totally pointless. Recycled paper should be exactly that: 100% recycled - no bleaching agents.

• What is recycled paper made from? 

Our best selling recycled paper is Xerox recycled available in A4 and A3 size. Xerox recycled is made from 100% post consumer waste and is de-inked without using any chemicals. It is free from optical brightening agents and has independant certifications issued by Nordic Swan and EU Ecolable. There are other papers on the market that claim to be recycled but some of them use chemicals to de-ink the pre-used paper before production. 

• Why is recycled office paper more expensive?

The simple answer to this question is that it is more complex, lengthy and costly to produce. However Xerox A4 recycled and Xerox A3 recycled are very competitive in comparsion to most white copier papers on the market. In addition to this the manufacturers have to source consumer waste to produce the paper in the first place, and sometimes the demand can out strip supply.

• Is recycled paper good quality

If you had asked this question a few years ago I think I would be giving you a completely different answer. A good quality recycled paper is just as good in terms of runability through printers as virgin pulp papers. Most recycled office papers are high quality and perform consistently well even in high volume office copiers used by schools

• Is recycled paper good for people with dyslexia

In accordance with the British Dyslexia Association the recommendations and guidlines for paper in schools is:

• Paper should be thick enough to prevent the other side showing through
• Use matt paper rather than glossy
• Avoid digital print processing which tends to leave the paper shiny
• Avoid white paper. White paper can appear too dazzling
• Use a cream or off white paper colour
• Some dyslexic people will have their own colour preference

Have I covered everything? Probably not!

If you have a question about recycled paper the why not get in touch? Email graham@hosltd.net or telephone 01706 861643 - I would love to hear from you