Converting Waste Agricultural Biomass into a Resource - UNEP

Environmental Considerations 141
Compared to virgin paper manufacturing, making paper from recycled
material reduces climate-changing gas emissions, requires less energy,
lowers air pollution, and effluent flows, and conserves landfill space. 30
percent post-consumer recycled content copier paper is the norm in many
State offices. Some organizations are going farther by switching to 100
percent post-consumer recycled content processed chlorine-free copier
paper, which is made entirely from paper that has been used by consumers
and then collected through recycling programs.
Thirty (30) percent post-consumer recycled content copier paper
contains 70 percent virgin tree fiber. According to estimates from paper
industry experts, making that paper requires one tree for every two and
a half cases of paper, however, making 100 percent post-consumer
recycled content paper requires no new trees to be harvested.
Saving trees and habitats isn't the only benefit. Producing 100 percent instead
of 30 percent post-consumer recycled content office paper reduces climatechanging
gas emissions by about 30 percent, requires 35 percent less
energy, and reduces effluent discharges by more than 40 percent.
Additional benefits come from choosing paper made with less or no chlorine.
Bleaching (whitening) paper pulp with elemental chlorine or chlorine
compounds produces chlorinated pollutants, such as dioxin, in the wastewater
stream. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency,
dioxin "is a toxic industrial pollutant that is … persistent in the environment. It
accumulates in the fat tissue of animals and humans and has been linked to
adverse human health effects, including cancer and toxicity to reproductive,
immunologic, and endocrine systems." Totally chlorine-free bleaching, which
uses alternative bleaching agents, such as oxygen and peroxide, eliminates
dioxins and other chlorinated pollutants from the wastewater stream. In order
to reduce potential risks, a number of paper manufacturers are switching to
chlorine-free technologies.
Examples of Real Life Applications
Commercial Use Paper from sugarcane pulp USA and CHINA
Suppliers 142
Pulsar Products
2570 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44114
ecvv.com 143
internet shopping: http://www.ecvv.com/
World Centric 144
2121 Staunton Ct, Palo Alto, CA 94306
141 http://www.green.ca.gov/EPP/Paper/Copier/background.htm
142 http://www.pulsarpaper.com/
143 http://www.ecvv.com/
144 http://www.worldcentric.org/about/contact.htm
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