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Paper was invented nearly two thousand years ago and is still today an integral part of our daily lives. According to The Confederation of Paper Industries, paper and board consumption in the UK rose by 1.2 per cent to 10.6 million tonnes last year and the average amount of paper used per person, per year is 200kg.

One of the most widely debated myths is that we should only produce and use recycled papers.

We’re good at recycling – Europe recycles more paper than any other region in the world and has a recycling rate of 68.9 per cent. But the fact is that paper can only be recycled around four to six times before the fbres weaken and lose their papermaking qualities. Virgin pulp is an essential ingredient in the paper making chain, so buyers should be looking at sustainably sourced as well as recycled,

One product that often gets fak for being bad for the environment is paper, but contrary to many misconceptions, paper has some incredible environmental credentials. It is natural, bio-degradeable, comes from a renewable resource and is recyclable.

papers and paper products such as notebooks and pads. What’s interesting is that a recent round of discussion groups conducted by Hamelin Brands (www. hamelinbrands.co.uk) revealed that many consumers assume that all paper products are environmentally-friendly these days.

Hamelin has several recycled offerings in its most popular notebook ranges such as Black n’ Red, Cambridge and Oxford Offce and says that it aims to help educate customers on the accreditations that products have, as well as any other environmentally-friendly features, so that they can make eco-responsible choices.

UK-based stationery manufacturer Sinclairs (www.sinclairsproducts. com) produces the Silvine brand of notebooks and pads. The frm has achieved ISO14001 and is also one of only a few stationery manufacturers to have FSC accreditation. Its environmental offering is impressive and offers choice. Notebooks, pads, exercise books etc. come in Everyday and Premium options and feature three paper types – recycled, FSC-certifed and C02 neutral.

But the entire Silvine range, not just the recycled variants, has green credentials and enables companies to meet their environmental procurement objectives. Marketing Manager Simon Medley says that 99.99 per cent of Silvine products are made with care in the UK. “We only knowingly buy paper from responsible suppliers, so even if it doesn’t state recycled, CO2 neutral or FSC-certifed on the cover, customers can rest assured that the paper is still from sustainable sources.”

s (www.pukka-pads.co.uk) recycled products have ncreasingly popular with lers and consumers in the t and in order to meet that t offers recycled versions of

its most popular products. Its Recycled range constitutes roughly 15 to 20 per cent of its total pad sales.

All of the pads in the Recycled range feature 100 per cent recycled paper but the frm said that a standard Pukka Pad is still quite green. All of the paper used in its non-recycled paper pads and notebooks originates from sustainable sources and all its products are made in mills with ISO9002 and ISO14001 accreditations.

Remarkable (www.remarkable.co.uk), a quirky company that turns everyday waste materials into recycled products, uses more recycled paper and card than anything else. Up to three tonnes of recycled paper are used each day to make notepads and notebooks. Remarkable’s colourful offering includes A4, A5 and A6 perfect bound notepads with covers made from recycled leather or recycled card and 100 per cent recycled paper inside, as well as wiro bound notepads with covers made from recycled packaging.

When it reaches the end of its lifecycle, paper that is sent to landfll or incinerated will produce further greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide or methane) as it degrades. Produced in equal amounts, methane is 25 times more harmful than carbon dioxide in terms of contributing to the greenhouse effect. That’s why it’s so important to recycle paper and give it a second life!

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