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Make a difference with paper and ink

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Paper considerations

Select paper with an accredited eco-label

An eco label is an independent certification that ensures important key impacts are minimised for a product. Environmental labels are available in New Zealand and worldwide. Currently there are no printing papers with the New Zealand certification (check the Environmental Choice website for updates), but some papers hold the equivalent overseas label (eg, Blue Angel - Germany; Nordic Swan - Denmark; and the Green Seal - USA). Most eco-labels are part of the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN). Wherever possible select a paper that has one of these labels.

There are also environmental management schemes such as the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) and International Organisation for Standards 14001 (ISO) environmental management system. The Ministry for the Environment has a summary of environmental management systems on its website (link below). These schemes cover management and improvement of the paper manufacturing process, but do not provide information about actual impacts on the environment during the life cycle of the paper. The schemes are process based rather than performance based.

Specify recycled paper with high recycled content (recycled - 30% to 100%)

Recycled paper has a much smaller environmental footprint than paper manufactured from raw materials. It uses fewer trees, less water, energy, landfill space and results in less pollutants being released to the air and water.1

The problems that printers had from lint in earlier recycled papers are no longer an issue for many of the modern recycled papers. But not all recycled papers are guaranteed for high speed printers - ask the supplier about specific types.

If your printing job requires archiving or permanent preservation be aware that recycled paper is not always guaranteed for this purpose. However, improved technology means this situation is changing.

Not all papers are the same when it comes to recycling. Waste from high grade printers and sorted office paper can now be recycled back into high grade office and printing paper, but mixed paper and newsprint is only recyclable into such paper grades as newsprint, sanitary paper, packaging liners or pulped paper products.

1 Current life cycle analysis work on paper production, recycling, and disposal indicate clear net advantages in the use of recycled paper. See for example www.ofee.gov/recycled/descript.htm and www.cfd.rmit.edu.au/programs/life_cycle_assessment/paper_packaging_lca.

Specify paper manufactured using a minimum of chlorine (TCF or ECF process)

When virgin paper is made the pulp must be bleached to remove lignin. Lignin is a naturally occurring compound which holds the wood together but contributes to yellowing if it remains in the paper. When recycled paper is remade into a white paper, it must be bleached to remove inks. Traditionally to make the paper white, chlorine gas was used, but this resulted in the creation of highly toxic and persistent organochlorines such as dioxin. New processes reduce this potential chemical burden on the environment.

ECF/TCF explained

The ECF (elemental chlorine free) process manufactures paper without the use of elemental chlorine, reducing 80% of the potential organochlorine load to the environment. Even better is the TCF (totally chlorine free also called PCF - process chlorine free) method, which uses oxygen based bleaches rather than chlorine.

TCF plants are better suited to chemical recycling as the bleaching chemicals are less corrosive. This slightly reduces pollutants and discharges to water. However, in some mills, the TCF process can require more pulp to make the same amount of paper, and can involve use of other toxic chemicals.

On balance it is preferable to avoid any paper made using elemental chlorine (EC) bleaching, specify ECF or TCF paper.2

2 European Commission regulators consider that pulp bleaching is the major source by orders of magnitude of UPOPS (unintentionally produced persistent organic pollutants) from paper manufacture. Conventional elemental chlorine (EC) bleaching produces significantly more UPOPS than well-managed elemental chlorine free (ECF), and totally chlorine free (TCF) processes. Official EU best practice advice indicates that only low-kappa ECF is equivalent to TCF in terms of best practise to reduce chlorinated compound effluents. Kappa is a measure of the lignin content remaining in pulp - low kappa pulps have been processed more thoroughly and require less bleaching, and therefore less use of bleaching chemicals. (UNEP 2003 (PDF 553 KB))

For papers containing virgin (non-recycled) fibres, specify paper with a maximum level of pulp from third party certified sustainably managed forests

To reduce the environmental footprint of paper products, it is important to source all virgin pulp from sustainably managed plantations. This helps minimise adverse effects to water quality, soil resources, ecosystems, old-growth forests and local communities. Third party accreditation schemes are still evolving. More information on the accreditation schemes is contained in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s Timber Procurement Policy.

Select uncoated paper over clay-coated paper wherever possible

Choosing a coated versus uncoated paper will depend on the look you want. During the recycling process the clay coating is removed and is generally disposed of as waste, which reduces the amount of useful fibre per tonne recovered from recycling paper by approximately one third.

Select the lowest paper weight suitable for the job

Selecting a lighter paper means you use less paper to print your publication. This saves resources and money. If you are planning to mail lots of documents, a higher paper weight may add to your distribution costs. Select a weight suitable for the type and expected life of the publication you are printing.

Try to use white paper when possible, and only as white as needed

Limit the use of dark or brightly coloured papers. The resources used in these papers are greater than in white papers. Coloured paper has been dyed and some dyes contain heavy metals and other toxic materials. Also when coloured paper is sent for recycling it needs to be bleached to remove the dye.

Specifying a paper that is brighter than it needs to be adds unnecessarily to the environmental burden of producing the paper. High grades of whiteness are created by extra bleaching processes or added “optical whitener” chemicals.

Consider the advantages of selecting a paper whose pulp source is close to the mill, and whose manufacturing is close to New Zealand

Currently no paper is manufactured in New Zealand so consider Australasian sourced alternatives using local pulp sources. A mill that sources its pulp from a local sustainably managed plantation or from a nearby catchment (eg, urban catchment for recycled paper) uses less energy than a mill that imports pulp from around the world.

This reduces the transport energy needed to manufacture and bring the paper to New Zealand, thus reducing the climate change impact of the paper. However, it should also be remembered that about 80% of the energy in paper is used in the manufacturing process. Ecolabels address mill energy efficiency, and recycled papers are more energy efficient over the whole life cycle of the paper.

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Ink considerations

Specify mineral free inks (ie, vegetable soy, agri-ink or water based) wherever possible

Mineral free inks have been in New Zealand for a number of years. At first there were problems with quality (the early inks were based on soya oil) but now vegetable inks work for a number of purposes and can be used to replace traditional inks.

The composition of the traditional printing inks varies widely. Some inks contain hazardous substances such as petroleum hydrocarbons (which release volatile organic compounds resulting in air pollution); cadmium, mercury, chromium (which are hazardous heavy metals used in pigments for colouring); or solvents used as a carrier or to aid in drying.

Why use vegetable/mineral free inks?

Mineral oil based inks can contain petroleum oil based pigment carriers, and heavy metals which are used to create colour. Vegetable based inks are now readily available and are comparable in price and performance to high quality mineral oil based inks.

Environmental benefits of mineral free inks include:
  • the reduction and/or elimination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released into the atmosphere. Mineral free inks are classified as ‘containing less than 1% VOCs’. VOCs are unhealthy to breathe over long periods of time. They also harm the environment by contributing to smog
  • they do not contain the following metals or salts: antimony, chromium, selenium, arsenic, mercury, cobalt, cadmium, manganese, lead
  • improved degradability because of the absence of heavy metals
  • healthier work places for printing staff
  • manufacturing from a renewable resource.

Coloured inks are available as vegetable inks but still can contain some heavy metals so if possible reduce the ink coverage. Metallic colours are harder to source as vegetable inks so avoid using them when possible. Think about the effectiveness of the message and the target audience - what do you gain from the use of colour?

Tip: Inks can be labelled ‘vegetable oil based’ products. Be aware that these may be mineral inks with vegetable ink added. To be sure ask the supplier to state the proportion of mineral inks in the product. There are now inks coming onto the market that are 100% mineral oil free

If not using mineral free inks, use inks with less than 10% of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

If you cannot use mineral free inks then specify inks with less than 10% of volatile organic compounds.

Design for minimal ink coverage and avoid bleeds off the page

This ensures the ink is used as efficiently as possible. Fewer resources are used and less wastage is produced. Try to minimise bleed allowance to acceptable industry needs. Be aware that you may be limiting the options you have for layout. Think about your format as this will influence the bleeds as well.

Use recycled ink wherever possible

Most inks can be recycled to make a standard black ink (this ink is not 100% recycled as non-recycled ink needs to be added). Recycled black ink significantly reduces the amount of ink waste going to landfill, reuses a valuable commodity and costs slightly less than standard black inks. There are limitations to the use of recycled black ink such as its suitability for some methods of printing.

Some ink manufacturers now add similar colours together for recycling. For instance all recycled red ink will be added together to form a certain colour red ink.

Related links