Here's why companies should consider recycled printing materials... even for ads!

For all the talk of the paperless office or moving business "to the cloud," printed material is still fluttering about as much as it ever was. Just about every business has things that simply must be printed, whether it's contracts and forms or banners, flyers, and business cards.

To be sure, trying to reduce your paper consumption by shifting to digital and email is a great way to do your part for the environment. But what is a business to do when, if, and where that simply isn't possible? It turns out you can be eco-friendly even when you're turning out printed matter by the ream... all thanks to recycled printing materials. A few printing services in Sydney are even starting to specialize in producing top-quality results using recycled materials that look as "white" as regular paper despite their "green" pedigree.

Here's what you need to know about making the switch to recycled stock for your paperwork.

The Benefits of Recycled Paper

As obvious as it may seem, too many large companies are still using non-recycled paper for the bulk of their office work. Why is this? Surely they're not intentionally trying to deprive little rain forest birds of a home? Of course they're not, but recycled paper has been surrounded by enough myths it's quite understandable if managers feel intimidated. Let's deflate a few of those myths now.

First. recycled paper has come down in price, a lot. While it used to cost a premium, now buying recycled paper is no more expensive than the regular variety. Often times, it's even cheaper. So yes, you can save the environment and the bottom line at the same time.

Second, modern recycled paper is just as "white" as the ordinary stuff. To be sure some companies seek out the grayish "raw" recycled paper as a marketing tool -- if you're selling to an environmentally conscious market, printing your materials on what is clearly recycled paper gives your firm a credibility boost. But your office supply dealer or printing service in Sydney will be happy to point you at their stock of de-inked recycled paper, which has the same bright white "virgin" look you're used to.

Well, consider the numbers. An incredible 40% of the world's industrial logging output is used for paper production... that means for every five trees that get chainsawed down, two of them are giving their lives so you can have some more forms and memos in your in-tray. Recycled paper helps cut down that number, a lot.

That's just the beginning, however. According to the group Waste Watch, each tonne of recycled paper saves 30,000 litres of water (used to make paper) plus 3000-4000 KWh in electricity. The paper recycling process also significantly cuts down on landfill costs -- the paper from your old flyers is pulped, de-inked, and pressed into paper for your new ones -- or incineration. (As you're probably aware, creating more waste also results in higher taxes down the line for dealing with it. Thus, recycling may cut your tax bill, if only by a little.)

The fact is, modern recycled paper looks just as great and costs just the same as the non-recycled variety. There's simply no reason not to use it, and plenty of excellent reasons to make the switch today!

resources:

http://www.ecogreenoffice.com/

http://www.wastewatch.org.uk/

http://www.print2day.com.au/