AFF = Ancient Forest Friendly paper is Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) or Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) and contains only the following fibers: post-consumer recycled fiber (PCR), de-inked recycled fiber, agricultural residue or tree free virgin fiber, or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified virgin fiber.

PCR = Post Consumer Recycled or PCW (Post Consumer Waste) refers to paper that was printed on or used for its intended purpose, put into a recycling bin & then recycled into new paper or products.

PCW = Post Consumer Waste [see above]. Note that the term "fiber" is often used instead of waste.

Pre-Consumer Waste = Paper or scraps left over from manufacturing, converting or trimming in the mill or print house. It may also include unsold magazines & newspapers. Although the paper and scraps are being reused, this paper has never made the journey to the consumer and back again.

Recycled Paper = True recycled content papers are defined as papers containing a minimum of 30% post consumer fiber by weight.

Currently there is no global consensus on what the term "recycled paper" means beyond the fact that it may contain either post or pre-consumer fiber. Just saying that paper is recycled is not enough, as this could vary from 1% to 100%, but not necessarily from post consumer waste paper that has actually been recycled. Look for sheets that provide the breakdown of post consumer waste and pre-consumer waste content. Naturally, papers that are 50-100% PCW (post consumer waste) are more significant environmentally.

FSC certified papers = The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, non-profit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world’s forests. The FSC sets high standards that ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable way.

The FSC Logo identifies products which contain wood from well managed forests certified in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). For more information contact: www.fsc.org

Of interest to graphic designers or others who spec paper, FSC papers are now readily available in North America from both small, independent paper companies and large paper mills. The FSC logo may have an accompanying note stating how much of the paper content is FSC certified. As with recycled content, the higher the number the better. Look for combinations of FSC certified and recycled paper content. For example: paper with 60% recycled, 40% FSC certified content equals 100% ancient forest friendly.

Alternative or Tree free papers = Think of paper made from tree free sources; roasted java, bananas, cotton rags or recovered denim scraps, agricultural fibers, hemp, flax or kenaf, a member of the hibiscus family.

Soy-based or vegetable based ink = Soy ink contains varying amounts of soybean oil and often replaces petroleum oil, making it lower in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which react with other atmospheric pollutants to form smog. It is also easier to recycle paper printed with soy-based inks than petroleum-based inks, as the inks are removed more effectively from the paper, resulting in less hazardous waste and reduced treatment costs.

You need to know...

Our nation's preference for pure white paper and the US paper industry's reliance on chlorine for bleaching makes this industry one of the worst water polluters in the world. Chlorinated organic compounds and carcinogenic dioxins are a toxic by-product of chlorine bleaching, and are often leaked into precious waterways, and hence the whole ecosystem.

When you select your paper stock, it is essential to consider the terms or definitions above in combination with how the paper was processed, de-inked or whitened. The Chlorine Free Products Association has introduced the new Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) and Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) Certification Program to companies that produce chlorine free products. When selecting papers for your design or print projects, look for these emblems or certification reserved for both PCF and TCF papers as defined below:

PCF = Processed Chlorine Free is reserved for recycled content papers with a minimum of 30% PCW (post consumer waste). This emblem states that no chlorine or chlorine compounds were used in the papermaking process, how the mill determined post-consumer content, the mill has no current or pending violations, and that the mill does not use old growth forest for any of the virgin pulp.

TCF = Totally Chlorine Free is reserved for virgin fiber papers. TCF papers do not use pulp produced with chlorine or chlorine containing compounds as bleaching agents, the mill has no current or pending violations, and the mill does not use old growth forest for any of the virgin pulp.

For more information about The Chlorine Free Products Association and its innovative certification program, please contact the Chlorine Free Products Association at www.chlorinefreeproducts.org

beware
ECF = Elementally Chlorine Free. This term can be confusing, as chlorine dioxide or chlorine compounds are still used to bleach either recycled or virgin wood pulp in this process. Although this is a cleaner process than chlorine gas bleaching, the chlorine compounds can form dioxins that are carcinogenic and toxic to the environment.

Let the arrows be your guide...

Variations of this world recognized recycling symbol can provide important information at a glance.

The chasing arrow logo with the white outlined arrows means that the package may be recycled where appropriate recycling programs exist. The solid version is a variation of the theme and is often shown in green or other colors.

additional recycling logo variations:
Arrows within a circle designate that the content is made from recycled materials. This recycling logo should not be used on printed material unless the paper contains a minimum of 30% post consumer waste.

Solid or white arrows in a black circle also indicate that the product contains recycled content. Often it will be accompanied by the symbol and a qualifying statement, for example, "Contains 50% Post Consumer Fiber." When the solid black symbol with white arrows is used alone, it means that the product is 100% recycled.

Since the first recycling symbol was designed, and plastic resin codes were introduced, certain industries have developed unique symbols specific to their industry. For example, industry associations for glass, paperboard, and corrugated materials have all developed, and in some cases trademarked, unique recycling symbols. On plastics, it is used along with a numbering system (1-7) to help designate plastic resins used in the product.

The origin of the arrows...

The origin of the three arrows of recycling are rooted in the very first Earth Day celebration in 1970. In the spring of that year, the Container Corporation of America, a paperboard company, sponsored a nationwide contest for environmentally concerned art and design students to create a design that would symbolize the paper recycling process. Out of more that 500 talented students, University of Southern California student Gary Anderson submitted the winning entry, drawing inspiration from the Möbius strip. His design featured three chasing arrows within a continuous loop.

be in the loop...

The three arrows are symbolic of three steps in the recycling process:

separating and collecting recyclable materials
processing and manufacturing these materials into new products
purchasing and/or using recycled products

Other Green Labels and Certification programs

Blue Angel
Ecomark
Environmental Choice

Green Dot
Green-e
Green Seal

More tools for change–

visit our resources and eco links page

This information has been compiled by ecoLingo® for educational purposes.