Paper and Packaging Products Are The Right Choice

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - When people buy paper products, they are doing the earth a favor. That's because paper products are manufactured with wood fiber - the one natural resource in the world that can regenerate itself in harmony with the environment. The best news is we are growing more wood fiber than we use. The forests are growing - not disappearing. There are 12 million more acres of forests in the U.S. today than 20 years ago. Since 1965, the number of trees growing in U.S. forests has increased 39 percent, considering that in the same period of time our population has nearly doubled.

Unlike other raw material, the rapidly growing trees we use to produce wood fiber are perpetually grown and re-grown in forests managed for that purpose. As long as there is sunlight and well-managed forestland, we will have a limitless supply of wood fiber. And, the more renewable wood fiber we use, the less we'll need of alternative resources that will eventually run out.

Only wood fiber can guarantee that a world soon to hold 10 billion people will have the material we need to allow us to build our homes, safely package our food and communicate with each other - all without using alternatives that deplete our natural resources or damage the environment.

So "saving trees" is not the environmental answer - using more paper and packaging products with wood fiber is.

Jay James
Division Manager
xpedx / Dallas

How to Buy Sustainable Products

By WorldWise.com

Here's a handy list of questions that give general clues as to the environmental sustainability of a product. While a scientific product lifecycle analysis is much more complex than this, reading labels with these questions in mind will be helpful when choosing products.

1. Do I really want the product?
Ask this question first. When you take a good look at what you are buying, you may find that you are buying a lot of things you don't really need or even want (even if they are "green"). When appropriate, buy an already existing second-hand product over a new one (such as antique furniture and used books).

2. Is this product made from renewable or recycled resources, and taken in a sustainable way?

Are the ingredients/materials listed?

What are the ingredients/ materials used that are not listed?

Any warning labels or environmental claims?

In looking at the lifecycle of the product itself, are the raw materials renewable (plant, animal, earth) or nonrenewable (metals and petrochemicals).

If a product is made from paper, plastic, glass, metal or rubber, does it contain recycled content?

Does the label indicate the materials used are organically grown, sustainably harvested, or have other explanations that describe sustainability?

3. Is this product safe for me and the environment?
There are now many safe, healthy, nontoxic alternatives available.

4. Is this product practical and durable, well made, of good quality, with a timeless design?
Considering environmental costs, there is less impact from quality products that last. Superior goods more than pay for themselves in long-term durability and satisfaction.

5. Is there any information about the manufacturing practices that tells of environmental improvements?
This is the area where there is the greatest environmental impact and the least information given. If no information is available, we can make assumptions based on our general knowledge such as recycled paper using less water and energy in the manufacturing process than virgin paper.

6. How will the product be disposed of and what will be the environmental impact?
Is it biodegradable? If it cannot be used up, cannot be added to your compost pile or be safely run down the drain, take it to local recyclers for safe disposability.

7. What kind of packaging does the product have?
Purchasing in bulk using recyclable containers is best. Glass, metal, paper, and some plastic packaging is also readily recyclable.

Some choices are fairly obvious, such as choosing between a toxic drain cleaner with lye that eats through skin, or one that’s nontoxic. Other choices are more difficult because of the complex web of both our needs and environmental concerns.

Each choice we make affects the world around us and being wiser about them makes our world a better place for all of us.

For more information read the wiseguide at worldwise.com

New Years Resolutions Go Green

Start the New Year with Steps toward Helping the Environment!
By Linda McDonnell

When you're making your New Years resolutions, try adding a few environment-friendly practices you can follow all year to help save the planet.

This New Year why not make a few resolutions to help keep the environment healthy. Simple changes in daily routines followed throughout the year can make a difference. Below are some suggestions that are easy to do and can set you on the road to sustainable living. Some may even save money as well as helping the environment.

• Reuse shopping bags, or better yet, get a durable bag to carry with you to the grocery store and on all your shopping trips.
• Buy locally made and grown products. They usually require less packaging and eliminate the environmental costs of long-distance transport. The added bonus is that local fruits and vegetables are often fresher, and locally produced goods help support your own community.
• Buy fewer disposable items. Look for long-lasting goods that won’t have to be replaced as often. You’ll reduce waste and save landfill space.
• Compost leaves and garden trimmings. The compost will improve your garden soil while reducing waste.
• While you’re shopping with your reusable shopping bag, look for products with recycled content. Buying recycled closes the cycle by putting resources back into use.
• If possible, find a carpool partner to share your daily commute. Carpooling helps reduce air pollution and traffic congestion. It could mean room for more trees if less land is needed for highways!
• If one of your resolutions is to get more exercise, try doing your shopping and errands on foot as part of your exercise program. Walking will help keep automobile pollution down and, like carpooling, help ease traffic congestion.
• If you have a ceiling fan that’s reversible, don't forget about it when summer ends. In winter, set it to rotate clockwise at low speed. As heated air rises, the fan will distribute it downward to keep you warmer without turning up the thermostat.
• Switch to environmentally friendly commercial laundry soaps.
• More exercise! In sunny weather, dry your laundry the old fashioned way: outdoors on a clothesline. You'll save energy by not using the dryer.
• Try using natural, home-made cleansers instead of chemical ones. Here are a few simple recipes: For an all-purpose cleanser, mix ½ cup vinegar in one quart of water (reduce water for hard jobs). Use it in a spray bottle. Instead of commercial fabric softener, add ¼ cup (or less) borax to the laundry wash cycle. To deodorize and soften laundry, add one cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.

Starting the New Year with a few environmental resolutions can offer the satisfaction of knowing you’re doing something positive toward ecological sustainability.

From GreenLiving.com

U.S. Paper Industry Working to Preserve Our Forests

The U.S. paper industry is working to clean up environmental excesses of the past and is planting new trees to replace the ones harvested for paper products.

According to Domtar Paper, thare are more U.S. trees today than 70 years ago. The paper industry's forest lands are no longer shrinking. Of the 873 million acres that supply commercial paper products (that's five times the area of Texas), only 2% are harvested each year. Great news when you consider that one tree produces 260 pounds of oxygen each year-enough to support two people.

Domestic printing papers are a smart green buy because they conform to stricter environmental standards in the U.S. and support sustainability of our forests.

http://www.parkscolor.com/Products/web-content/servicecenter/letterheads.html


http://www.parkscolor.com/Products/web-content/servicecenter/brochures.html