From Birmingham Friends of the Earth: how to buy REAL recycled paper, and a price list for buying stationery from their shop at 54 Allison Street, Digbeth B5, which is open 10am-5pm Monday to Saturday Tel:0121 632 6909…
If you also supply recycled paper, we would love to hear from you – add a comment to this page or contact us.
Pricelist (PDF) Prices correct 15 January 2008. A4 paper from £4 per ream (500 sheets); also envelopes and other stationery.
“WHY BUY RECYCLED PAPER?
“It ‘closes the loop’. Increasing numbers of people are now recycling paper, but to make this worthwhile there needs to be a market for recycled paper products. Paper made from virgin pulp often claims to come from ‘sustainable forestry’. However, such forests are usually made from fast-growing conifers which often require chemical herbicides and pesticides to control competition and disease. Recycling paper uses up to 50% less energy and 50% less water than making paper from trees. Timber is a valuable natural resource, better suited to long-term uses such as building than for ‘disposable’ items such as paper.
“CLASSIFYING RECYCLED PAPERS
“The ABCD classification scheme, which is widely used in the UK, defines recycled paper as follows:
“A Woodfree, own mill waste
‘Woodfree’ means paper made by a chemical process during which lignin is extracted from the wood (it is not paper made without wood, as the name would suggest). This is paper that has never left the mill and would have been used in products not labelled as recycled. It has no real environmental benefits.
“B Woodfree, unprinted waste
“This is unused waste from paper converters or printers. It contains no post-consumer waste and has only marginal environmental benefits.
“C Woodfree, printed waste
“This is post-consumer waste, including waste from offices. It needs to be de-inked before recycling. It has significant environmental benefits.
“D Mechanical printed and unprinted waste
“This includes post-consumer waste from low-grade sources such as magazines and newspapers, which may not be woodfree. It needs to be de-inked before use. It has the greatest environmental benefit.
“NAPM APPROVED PAPER
“The National Association of Paper Merchants (NAPM) awards its Approved Recycled Mark to papers which contain a minimum of 75% genuine waste fibres (ie, B, C or D).”
Click here for a pricelist of recycled stationery and other goods from Birmingham Friends of the Earth, 54 Allison Street, Digbeth B5, which is open 10am-5pm Monday to Saturday
Prices correct 15 January 2008. Phone 0121 632 6909 to check prices and stock.