Monday, December 17, 2007

Who's Naughty, Who's Nice

For the second year in a row, ForestEthics has published a holiday guide to who's naughty and who's nice in the catalog industry. Catalogs either get a reindeer/caribou, if they are "nice"; a fruitcake, if they're trying to change; or a lump of coal, if they are lagging behind in reducing their environmental impact from paper use.

This month, over 70 actions were held at Sears stores in the US and Canada to raise awareness about the devastating impact on the endangered Boreal Forest of Canada of mailing 425 million Sears catalogs a year. If you're concerned, and wish that Sears would be more responsible, you can send a letter to the CEO, Aylwin B. Lewis, here.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Change the Margins

In the category of simple, ingenious ideas for everyone to save incredible amounts of paper and protect the environment with a VERY easy action...the winner is... Change the Margins! Its an effort to encourage everyone, and especially a few big corporations, to change their computers default settings in the widely used software program Microsoft Word to smaller page margins. This means more words fit per page - and less paper needed per job. They've even got a petition suggesting Microsoft go ahead and change the default right out the box.

Here a great National Public Radio story on the effort here.

How to Change Your Margins, from the website:

OK, so until we can get Microsoft to change the default margins, here's how to do it on your own. It should take no more than twenty seconds and just a few clicks of the mouse.

On your WORD screen, go to FILE, then PAGE SET UP.

Once on PAGE SET UP, click the DEFAULT key, and you'll be offered "Do you want to change the default settings for the page set up? This change will affect all new documents based on the normal template."

Then set your margins to whatever preferred new width you'd like. I'm suggesting setting each margin to .75" which will save an immense amount of paper.

Thanks for doing this! And I was right, huh? Twenty seconds or so? Not bad...

If you want more specific directions along with screenshots to guide you as you go, check out About.com's margin changin' tutorial.

Friday, December 07, 2007

Green Reading: Barnes and Noble, Hastings Books and Music to Feature Magazines Using Recycled Paper

"Green Paper for People and Planet” Launched at Major US Book Stores by Co-op America’s PAPER Project and Next Steps Marketing

Nearly 400 Barnes and Noble (B&N) and Hastings Books and Music stores nationwide will run in-store promotions highlighting magazines that use recycled paper, under a major push by Co-op America’s Magazine PAPER Project and Next Steps Marketing.

The “Green Paper for People and Planet” promotion will occupy prominent fixtures within these stores with special signage to highlight the magazines’ commitment to the environment. Each publication featured in these unique fixtures is an environmental leader in using recycled paper with at least 30 percent post-consumer content.

Six magazines that use recycled paper – Shape, Fast Company, Mother Jones, ReadyMade, Nickelodeon Magazine, and Body + Soul – will be prominently featured during November in 153 Hastings Books and Music stores. To view Hastings locations nationwide, visit http://www.hastingsentertainment.com/catalog/.

Barnes and Noble has committed to offering 10 slots for magazines that use recycled paper at a heavily discounted rate with special signage in their top 240 stores in January. This promotion will roll out more widely in April 2008 in conjunction with Earth Day.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

New Green Publishing Blog by Frank Locantore

Folio: Magazine, the premiere industry journal for the magazine publishing industry, has a blog which now features a weekly column on environmental issues in the industry written by Co-op America's Frank Locantore. Check it out, as in his first posting he takes on the recent surge in unverified claims of "carbon-nuetral" paper by several paper companies.

Monday, December 03, 2007

WWF Guide to Buying Paper

WWF International has released a new Guide to Buying Paper. While targeted for a European market, it is relevant to any organization making paper purchasing decisions with social and environmental responsibility. Go Get It Here.

Link to higher quality image: http://www.ibelieveinadv.com/commons/wwfpaperdispenser.jpg

Monday, November 26, 2007

File this one under ironic...


This is absolutely hilarious, the direct marketer's are installing recycling bins to save money and yet they send out millions of pounds of junk mail a year to American homes... when will the insanity end?

Direct Marketer’s Recycle Bins Save $500,000 Per Year

Direct Marketer’s Recycle Bins Save $500,000 Per Year

Direct mail and marketing firm PEP-Direct says it will save approximately $500,000 a year working with International Paper Products Corp. to reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfills and reduce the cost of waste removal, DM News reports.

IPP is providing signage and receptacles for PEP’s non-recyclable materials such as label stock and packaging. The companies have been working together for about a month.

IPP empties the recycle bins once or twice a week (the company will travel up to 100 miles from its Westfield, MA plant) and then compacts the waste into Enviro-Fuelcubes, which are burned in place of fossil fuels. PEP is using the arrangement to promote a greener image.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Catalog Choice in New York Times

Catalog Choice, the new, free service from Environmental Paper Network member organizations NWF, NRDC, and the Ecology Center (Berkeley) which lets consumers easily opt out of catalogs they no longer wish to receive, its still growing, and so is the buzz. Today, the New York Times.

The initiative is tapping into a lot of common sense and has a growing list of companies partnering up with it, such as L.L. Bean. In the NYTimes article, L.L. Bean says, "We don't want people to get our catalogs who don't want our catalogs. We don't want to waste paper or our customer's time."

Since October 9, Catalog Choice has helped 165,000 people opt out of almost 1.7 million catalogs.

Thank goodness. The Environmental Paper Network's State of the Paper Industry Report shows that experts have been predicting continued, rapid growth of paper use, and increasing environmental challenges as a result. Efforts like Catalog Choice are critical to changing the course.

Simon and Shuster Steps Up Recycled Paper Use in US

From Environmental Leader:

For books printed and bound in the U.S., Simon & Schuster plans to increase the level of recycled fiber in its purchased paper to 25 percent or more by 2012, a 150 percent increase from a current 10 percent baseline level.

Simon & Schuster purchases approximately 70,000 tons of paper annually. At current production levels, the shift to 25 percent recycled fiber will result in saving approximately 483,000 trees annually and reducing greenhouse gases by nearly 85 million pounds, the company reports.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Canada's Biggest Printer Adopts Paper Purchasing Policy

Thanks to help from EPN member Markets Initiative, Transcontinental has announced the implementation of a Paper Purchasing Policy that promotes the use of environmentally preferable papers through a classification process that allows clients to make an informed choice regarding the paper they choose for their printing and publishing needs.

“Transcontinental is the first major North American print-media conglomerate to take such a comprehensive step towards safeguarding our forests and our climate,” said Nicole Rycroft, Executive Director, Markets Initiative. “This is good news for caribou, forests such as the Boreal and for clients looking for environmental printing solutions. We look forward to other major North American and global printers and publishers developing environmental paper initiatives.”

The largest printer in Canada and sixth-largest in North America, Transcontinental also ranks as the country’s leading publisher of consumer magazines and French-language educational resources, and its second-largest community newspaper publisher.

For more information about Transcontinental’s Environmental Policy, including its Paper Purchasing Policy, click here.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Finally, We Have Catalog Choice

Catalog Choice is the free service that lets you opt-out of unwanted catalogs.

The buzz is growing, and Catalog Choice has been featured in national media including CNN, watch the clip below.



As of October 31st, the Catalog Choice community is 86,146 persons strong, having opted out of 515,128 catalogs. (if you multiply that by the numerous times a year most catalogs come, that's millions of individual catalogs!)

Per capita paper consumption in the United States exceeds 700 lbs/year, by far the most of any nation. There are 19 BILLION catalogs mailed every year in the US. Projects like Catalog Choice are helping to protect the world's endangered forests and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of wasteful and unnecessary paper consumption.

Paste Makes the Switch to Recycled

From the Environmental Leader:

Beginning with its November issue, Paste Magazine will now be composed of 30 percent post-consumer recycled content paper - up from the 10 percent they are currently using.

By making this decision, every year Paste will now save 2,000 trees, and will save enough energy to power 50+ homes.

“Shifting to 30 percent post-consumer recycled content paper is a small price to pay to help our future,” added Nick Marino, managing editor of Paste magazine. “Our hope is that other magazines will join in our commitment to recycling. As more publications get on board, the price of recycled paper will go down and the quality of the paper will go up!”

Thursday, October 25, 2007

London's Project Freesheet

If you've been in a major city in the last few years, you've experienced the phenomenon of free mini newspapers now being handed out as a new strategy for newspapers to sell advertising. I'm willing to bet that, you, like me, had a certain thought at least cross your mind as you saw all the discarded papers piling up: "Wow, what a waste."

Free newspaper circulation now accounts for 30% of the European newspaper market, and 8% of the World newspaper market. Since 2001 free daily newspaper circulation has more than tripled from 12 million to over 40 million worldwide. That is a percentage increase of over 340% in 6 years. This equates to the use of over 9000 trees (allowing for 75% recycled content) every day.

Well, finally, an organized response is just beginning and its emerging as a London petition effort called Project Freesheet.

From the website: Project Freesheet is a web based campaign to highlight issues and concerns raised by the ever increasing amount of free literature (aka "freesheets") now being handed out on the streets of our cities around the world. By encouraging the public to upload and send in their photos of free literature waste we aim to illustrate the excesses of the free literature publishers through the creation of a visual petition (see the collage) Project Freesheet will continue to exist for as long as freesheet publishers continue to disregard their responsibilities to our streets and the environment. We will campaign about the negative impact of freesheets for as long as products with such questionable environmental credentials are produced

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Hooray for Everyday with Rachel Ray

Folio magazine is reporting that Everyday with Rachel Ray, the magazine that is a keystone of the enterprises of fast rising Rachel Ray, is switching the paper it is printed on in order to achieve environmental benefits and be more responsible.

"Starting this month, we're printing our magazine on recycled paper and saving 11,500 trees with every issue - that's 115,000 trees a year!" Ray bubbles in November's editor's note. "November is our greenest issue ever."

Its good to see that rather than just selling "The Green Issue" about green topics, like some magazines, Every Day with Rachel Ray is changing its own environmental footprint by switching paper, and being a true business leader. Find out how to make the switch here.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

The First Eco Friendly Bible Arrives

Have you heard the "good news?"

On October 9th, Bible and religion publisher Thomas Nelson Inc. will release the first Bible printed on recycled and FSC certified paper. The Bible is the most widely distributed book in history and Thomas Nelson’s achievement was no small task. Thomas Nelson worked worked with its paper manufacturer, Domtar, to develop a new environmentally responsible paper grade specially suited for the lightweight paper requirements of Bible paper.

Thomas Nelson’s CEO, Mike Hyatt states that, “Thomas Nelson is excited to be taking some important steps toward protecting our natural resources. In addition to offering eco-friendly products, we are striving to implement “green” practices in our daily activities.”

Several other religion publishers also have environmental commitments in place including Ave Maria Press, Baker Publishing Group, Intervarsity Press.

“Given the Bible’s message of stewardship and the growth of the creation care movement we hope to see other Bible and religion publishers following Thomas Nelson’s lead through steps to use paper with less impacts on forests, people, and the climate,"
stated Green Press Initiative director Tyson Miller.

Amen.

Australia: Gunn's Mill Clears Hurdle

(Action on October 3: Bondi Beach, Sydney Australia)


From Australia - Gunn's Mill Update from The Wilderness Society: Federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull today (October 4) annouced his decision to approve Gunns Ltd's Tamar Valley pulp mill, effectively giving the go-ahead for a mill that promises extensive damage to Tasmania’s native forests and waterways.

The Minister's approval is subject to the pulp mill meeting 24 new guidelines, but the guidelines fail to adequately address the concerns of Tasmanians about the damage this mill will cause.

Forest Certification Debate Center Stage

The Montreal Gazette has an article today on news from Markets Initiative that independent research completed by EEM confirms that the Forest Stewardship Council is the most effective sustainable forest management certification available.

EEM, the research firm that produced the report, prepared it for a client it would not name which was seeking to set a paper-purchasing policy. The client is a large Canadian media company, report author Stephanie Hamilton said yesterday.

"The value of the report is that it was independently commissioned and independently conducted while most others were conducted by industry or environmental" groups, said Nicole Rycroft of Markets Initiative.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

The (Environmental) State of the Paper Industry

The Environmental Paper Network released a report yesterday entitled, The State of the Paper Industry: Monitoring the Indicators of Environmental Performance. The State of the Paper Industry Report monitors environmental performance in the industry, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and, ultimately, it challenges leaders in the industry with a Vision for social and environmental responsibility.

Read about it on GreenBiz.com and The Daily Green

Media: Listen to audio of the press conference here.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Greenpeace Blockades SFK Pulp Ship in Boreal

St-Fulgence, QC, Canada — On the morning of Friday, September 14, the Greenpeace Ship Artic Sunrise began a blockade (video) of the freighter Jaeger Arrow in Quebec's Saguenay River, preventing the export of thousands of tonnes of pulp to Europe. The pulp, manufactured by SFK Pulp from Canada's Boreal Forest, is destined for Stora Enso in Germany and France.

By the end of the day eight were arrested (video) and the story was out.

Slide Show here.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Sears Hears It From ForestEthics

Today ForestEthics, architects of the successful Victoria's Dirty Secret campaign, announced the next target in its quest to hold catalog companies accountable for their role in destruction of Canada's Boreal Forest.

Activists put the Board of Directors of Sears Holding Corporation on notice today with in-person visits announcing the launch of a new campaign challenging Sears/Land's End to clean up its catalog practices.

Sears/Land's End introduced the first ever catalog dating back to the company's beginnings in the 1880s. Today, it is the largest catalog company without responsible paper standards, mailing out more than 425 million catalogs a year that contain almost no recycled content, and using paper sourced from vital ecosystems and endangered forests, including Canada's Boreal Forest.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Carbon Footprints

A bunch of companies producing big brand items have signed up to a UK government programme to measure the carbon footprint of their products' life-cycle, from sourcing raw material to disposal. The BBC reports that 'Kimberly-Clark intends to measure the environmental impact of Andrex Toilet Tissue and Huggies nappies.' (That's diapers, if you're American). Watch and learn.

Friday, September 07, 2007

Sustainable Brands? You Decide.

The LA Times is reporting this week on the challenges of being a green consumer in a vast sea of green labels and the rising number of corporate claims of virtuousness broadcast daily on newswires such as the Environmental Leader and CSRwire.com.

As a sign of these times, brands are scrambling to position themselves as environmentally and socially responsible several upcoming conferences, such as SustainableBrands'07 in New Orleans and Business for Social Responsibility in San Francisco, are themed toward green branding and, one would hope, a modicum of sincere idea sharing on meaningful action.

Many of these companies deserve real kudos. But where is the line between green and greenwashing? What do you think about some of these major brands? Is their brand image legitimate? Obviously, its complicated, but one innovative idea is DoTheRightThing.Com , which lets you decide by creating a community where news on the topic can be posted and community members can rate the action on positive and negative scales. Over time, the result is a consumer-driven rating on responsibility for different brands, and as a result, more accountability and effective consumer watchdogging of these brands.

When it comes to paper choices and true responsibility in the industry, the Environmental Paper Network and its member groups can help you sort through the clutter to efficiently find the raw truth. Visit to see a list of links to members, our Common Vision, and guidance for making responsible paper choices. Its important, its easier than you think, and, you can be sure, its important to your brand management to make responsible choices when it comes to paper.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Daddy, What Were Paper Airplane Tickets Like?

On August 28th, Giovanni Bisignani, director general of the International Air Transport Association declared, "In just 278 more days, the paper ticket will become a collector's item."

This is due to the decision for all of its member airlines to completely phase out paper tickets as of June 1 of next year, a move they claim will save 50,000 trees a year.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Giving Green Grades to Office Supply Sector

As the back to school shopping season comes to a close, environmental groups ForestEthics and Dogwood Alliance released a "report card" today on the forest-related paper practices of the five major office supply companies: Staples, Office Depot, Corporate Express, FedEx Kinko's and OfficeMax. Each of the five companies has been engaged in discussions with two environmental groups, which have resulted in several new advances: a new environmental policy and increased recycled paper use (Corporate Express), a committment to sustainable logging (Staples), and the elimination of sourcing from endangered mountain caribou habitat (FedEx Kinko's)

"The office supply sector has finally begun to make its paper supply more environmentally friendly," said Andrew Goldberg, Director of Corporate Engagement at the Dogwood Alliance. "Where just a few years ago you could not find paper with recycled content, now it is readily available. This is a good first step, but these companies must sharpen their pencils and use their purchasing power to reform business as usual industrial logging and bring about improved managament practices on the ground in the Endangered Forests of the Southern US, Canada's Great Boreal Forest and other parts of the world."

Dogwood Alliance and ForestEthics have been working to reform the environmental practices of the office supply industry since 2000, and their successful campaigns have resulted in record high production at recycled pulp mills in 2005, and increased demand for environmentally preferable papers. The new report, titled, Green Grades: A Report Card on the Paper Practices of the Office Supply Sector, updates the progress made by the industry according to five categories, each of which is crucial to forest protection.

Friday, August 31, 2007

Ribbon Cut at Controversial Pulp Mill's Port

Uruguayan President Tabare Vasquez participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony at a new shipping terminal in Fray Bentos on the Uruguay River to service the controversial, massive new pulp mill under construction. The terminal will unload wood and ship out cellulose from the pulp mill destined to be made into paper in the U.S., China, and Europe.

Most media was kept away for security reasons, and protestors with banners cruised the river to demonstrate opposition to the mill.

The $1.2 billion pulp mill being built by Oy-Metsa Botnia, with help from loans from the World Bank, is the largest ever foreign investment in Uruguay, and has been vigorously opposed by regional conservationists and the Argentina government. Argentina has said the pollution from the mill will jeopardize farming and tourism in the region and violates a key 1975 river treaty between the two nations.

Today, I found this site created by Botnia to document the construction of the mill, (with rose-colored glasses, of course) that gives some interesting images of the impact as it nears completion of construction.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

UPS Customers Use E-Billing As If The Earth Depended on It

Mongabay.com reports on recent research done by UPS on what motivates its customers to switch to e-billing. Over 40% of them, the largest percentage for any reason, said they were motivated because of environmental concerns.

Based on this feedback, UPS has announced a partnership with the National Arbor Day Foundation. UPS will make a $1 donation to the tree-planting organization for every customer who opts for the paperless PDF invoice. Also participating in a similar partnership with the Foundation to encourage e-billing is CitiGroup/Smith Barney.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Dirty Toilet Paper Down Under

Treehugger has a great, pun-laden post about how Woolworth's, Australia's largest supermarket chain, has been exposed (aka "caught with its pants down") for labelling their self-branded toilet paper as environmentally beneficial without any credible certification to back it up. Turns out that Woolworths Select toilet paper is in fact sourced via Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), one of the world's largest pulp producers, whom the Indonesia's Centre for International Forestry Research recently reported rely on the clearing of natural forests in Sumatra for 60 to 70% of their wood supply, and does not carry any certification from the Forest Stewardship Council.

ABC stories also here and here.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Paper and Environment on National Public Radio (US)

Listen to this morning's Morning Edition story on NPR about Xerox's new High Yield Business Paper, and environmental issues associated with paper production. Features a quote from Tyson Miller of the Green Press Initiative, noting this new paper as a positive choice, but urging Xerox and others to do more to incorporate recycled paper and sustainable forestry.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

E-Banking: Not Just Saving Trees



A recent issue of Scientific American highlights the benefits of online bill paying and e-banking. Not only do you cut down on paper usage and save trees but you also reduce the usage of energy and resources to make, ship and discard the paper.

You can read the full story here.

Thanks to the blog, One Shade Greener for bringing this story to our attention.

Greenpeace Names Names in Boreal

A Greenpeace investigative report released yesterday reveals the names of many high profile and recognizable international companies fueling the destruction of Canada's Boreal Forest to create everyday consumer products.


Among the 35 companies listed in Consuming Canada's Boreal Forest, are Best Buy, Grand & Toy, Toys "R" Us, Time Inc., Sears, Coles/Indigo, Penguin Books US and Harlequin. Rona, the Canadian home improvement and hardware store, is also named in the report.


Each company is profiled as a customer of logging and pulp companies Abitibi-Consolidated, Bowater, Kruger and SFK Pulp, whose destructive logging practices, according to the report, are responsible for decimating nearly 200,000 km2 of Boreal Forest, or 3.5 times the size of Nova Scotia.


"Today, we're naming names," said Kim Fry, a forest campaigner with Greenpeace-Canada. "The logging companies and customers featured in this report are driving the destruction of Canada's Boreal Forest."


Even Paris Hilton Gets It

Ecorazzi and others are reporting General Electric NBC Universal, as part of its Green is Universal project has announced that for the week of Nov. 4-10, green themes will be found in such shows as “The Office,” “My Name Is Earl,” “30 Rock,” “Heroes” and “Deal or No Deal,” plus in news offers, including “Today,” “Nightly News,” “Dateline” and on MSNBC and MSNBC.com.

“‘We will have every single one of our prime-time shows with storylines themed to green with our characters … being agents of change and being proactive, positive, green members of our going-green society,’ said Ben Silverman, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment. “We will also have our late-night [and daytime] shows engaged.’”

“We’re [about] a paper company,” John Krasinski of The Office cracked. “We’re going to get hammered.”

That should be interesting. Maybe for that episode they should hire media-savvy forest and paper advocates ForestEthics to advise them as technical experts. Recently they've been spotted on the "green carpet" at celebrity loaded shindigs for Leonardo DiCaprio's film, The 11th Hour, which includes footage of interviews with Tzeporah Berman of the non-profit about the importance of forest protection to solving the global climate crisis. They are using the attention to call on catalog companies to adopt more responsible paper purchasing practices that lead to forest and climate protection.

Update: Ecorazzi interview after the event with Tzeporah Berman.

Photo: What's In Your Paper Paris?: Tzeporah Berman of ForestEthics, with Paris Hilton.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Update: IP's statement

In response to an inquiry from The Paper Planet, IP has provided the following statement regarding the environmental implications of their venture with Ilim:

International Paper contributes to the shape of forests around the world, so we strive to ensure the protection of this important natural resource.

We use no fiber from endangered forests, and are strongly committed to third-party certification of forestlands we own or lease. As part of the joint venture, we will continue these practices in combination with Ilim's existing leadership of sustainable forestry in Russia. Ilim has been a leader in FSC forest certification in Russia, was active in the development of the Russian Forest Code, and has developed initiatives to combat illegal logging.
That's the whole thing. Hmmm.... Feeling reassurred? Feeling doubting? Holding evidence one way or the other? Comments? Post them here...

Will The Iliam Group Be the Same-Old Forest Industry?

One of the world’s largest paper products companies, International Paper, is teaming up with the owner of Russia’s largest paper mills, Iliam Holdings S.A., to log the Russian Boreal, or Taiga, for paper.

International Paper Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John Faraci said. "Ilim has continued to strengthen its operations and substantially improve its profitability, and we're investing at a good multiple and expect attractive returns. As we continue to transform International Paper, focusing on our global uncoated paper and packaging businesses, the joint venture with Ilim positions us very well within low- cost, high-growth markets in Russia and Asia."

The $650 million deal between International Paper and Ilim Holdings S.A. to form Ilim Group was just announced, and the companies’ emphasis was on upgrading facilities, increasing production, developing new products, in order to increase returns to investors.

As the Daily Green notes, no mention in the press release about environmental responsibility or commitments to include clean technologies as a part of the "upgrades." But in order to compete in the new global marketplace with some of the best growth in environmentally improved paper products, they will inevitably need to reckon with such issues. The question is, will it be greenwashing or will it be real?

International Paper has recently indicated positive movement, announcing it would pursue Forest Stewardship Council certification for some of its operations, but the company still carries one of the world's most dubious environmental reputations among paper companies so this announcement is being greeted with trepidation by conservationists. And boardroom level decisions such as this spells disaster for small, local, forest dependent communities in the Russian Taiga. Perhaps, however, at a juncture such as this, there is an opportunity for International Paper to design sustainability into the fabric of its business plan. With tools available such as Google Earth, a sympatheic, educated consumer market, and a strong international conservation movement to instantly notify the world, there are significant business risks associated with poor corporate responsibility such as a failure to embrace clean energy technologies, cleaner bleaching technologies and credible forestry certification.

So perhaps there is an opportunity here. So IP, what's it gonna be?

Friday, August 17, 2007

New "Field Guide" to Eco-friendly, Efficient and Effective Print

Monadnock Paper Mills has announced the release of the second edition of its acclaimed instructional how-to guide for creating more sustainable print materials. The publication, A Field Guide: Eco-Friendly, Efficient and Effective Print is intended to be a single resource that presents objective information and points out alternatives for design decisions that support sustainability without sacrificing style and impact.

New information in the second edition of A Field Guide includes a full chapter dedicated to packaging, an expanded section on energy and emissions, and an overview of the various environmental programs, logos, and terminology that many paper mills use in their product literature today.


Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Apple and AT&T Team Up to Bring You Forest Destruction

Technology is supposed to make life easier, right? Well in the case of Apple's new iPhone which is the buzz of the techno-geek world right now, it may make browsing the internet better and really be an amazing all in one package, but one thing they certainly did not get right was the billing.

When you sign-up for the iPhone you have to use AT&T and people have been reporting huge stacks of paper in their bills detailing every data transfer, call, and txt that you sent. At first I thought this couldn't be so bad, then I saw this.


300 pages? Are you kidding me? I thought it was a joke until I read all the comments on gizmodo about it and found that she is not alone... come on Apple and AT&T, you can do better!

Friday, August 10, 2007

New York Times Shrinks

NPR reports on the New York Times' shift this week to a format which is 10% smaller than its previous format, expected to save $10 million/year in paper costs, and reduce its environmental impact. The change brings "the newspaper of record" in line with the industry trend.

Smart move. Let's hope the next step is to take a hard look at what forests the remaining virgin fiber content is coming from.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

New Movie: Too Precious to Pulp?

Tasmania's Clean Green Future: Too Precious to Pulp? (Part 1 : Part 2 : Total 17 minutes) systematically outlines the impact Gunns' proposed pulp mill will have on the future of Tasmania, and its environment, economy and community. The film was made by award winning filmmaker Heidi Douglas.

"Just as the film An Inconvenient Truth exposed climate change to community at large, this film will enlighten audiences who are confused about the issues behind the dispute over the proposed pulp mill", she says.

"This new film represents a courageous move by Heidi, a filmmaker who is already being sued by Gunns for half a million dollars for documenting the Tasmanian forest campaign," Geoff Law campaign coordinator for The Wilderness Society said.

I recommend starting your download, stepping away to fix yourself your beverage of choice, and preparing yourself for an emotional roller coaster ride from awe, to disbelief, to anger, to empowered hope. And if you're a visually oriented person like me, the graphics are fantastic and make complicated issues simple and clear.

For more information on this issue visit www.wilderness.org.au/pulpmill

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Judge stops SFI "certified" loggers

Weyerhaeuser, the massive logging, paper and wood products company, has been injoined to stop logging in endangered species habitat in the state of Washington.

Weyerhaeuser is certified by the so-called Sustainable Forestry Initiative. The SFI is a marketing program devised by and dominated by industry to greenwash the forest products industry in the US. More on that effort here. That a federal judge has to step in to stop logging by a supposedly certified company in endangered species habitat demonstrates, I think pretty clearly, the extremely low bar, or non-existence of a bar, of sustainability demanded by this program.

From this day let it be known: if you buy SFI, you don't know what in the world you are getting, and there's at least a decent chance it will be from unsustainable logging.

RAN's Understory blog has a good post on other current challenges to the SFI in Washington and Maine.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

New Report: Banks, Pulp, and People

"The aim of our report is to inform financial institutions about the impacts and risks of upcoming pulp investments before decisions are made and contracts are signed", says Heffa Schücking, director of the German environment and human-rights organization Urgewald.

Over the next five years, the global pulp industry is planning to increase its production capacity by more than 25 million tonnes. This capacity increase is unprecedented and would mean a five-fold increase, when compared to the growth rates of the last decade. More importantly, it would mean a dramatic increase in the problems that the pulp sector is already causing for people and the environment in producer countries.

"Pulp mills and the industrial tree plantations that feed them have become increasingly controversial", says Chris Lang, the author of the report Banks, Pulp and People – A Primer on Upcoming International Pulp Projects. "The vast areas of monocultures required to feed modern mills have severe impacts on biodiversity, forests, water, land rights and livelihoods. And pulp mills themselves are among the most polluting industrial facilities, with grave consequences for the health of local communities and riverine ecosystems. Its no wonder, that in country after country, local people and environmental organizations have taken to the streets to protest against these developments", he adds.

The bulk of new expansions are slated to take place in only a few countries: Uruguay, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, China and Russia. The report gives a detailed description of the impacts of the industry in these countries as well as analyzing the track records of the involved companies.

In order to hold the financiers of the pulp industry accountable, Urgewald has also set up a new website, www.pulpmillwatch.org. It documents the problems caused by the pulp industry's operations and informs the public, financiers and decision makers regularly about upcoming problematic projects.

Monday, August 06, 2007

Finished Harry Potter, Finally Have Time for Posting Again

Don't worry, no spoilers here. This story is well known by now, Harry Potter 7, The Deathly Hallows, was the "greenest book in history". So the Paper Planet had to get a post up about it...even if it is a little late. Go straight to the source of J.K. Rowling's inspiration, at www.marketsinitiative.org, for the real scoop. Grist does a pretty good job with it too and has links to news articles. Bloggers and reporters, get a press kit here.

It just so happened, that SouthernQ and I were visiting people and forests in Tofino, British Columbia on the day of the big release, and were able to score a couple fresh Ancient Forest Friendly, 100% post-consumer recycled paper Harry Potters, published by Raincoast. They look beautiful, and sport a valuable, and sharp-looking, "Ancient Forest Friendly" logo! It was especially meaningful to purchase them in the town where Markets Initiative, in a teeny office at the end of the earth, first launched the effort to facilitate an environmentally responsible book industry in order to save ancient, old-growth forests.

In Tofino today, the Friends of Clayoquot Sound are doing tremendous work to protect the ancient temperate rainforests (and still in that office mentioned earlier). Visit their website to learn more about their work and the spectacular forests that helped play a role in inspiring the now global movement to shift markets to transform the paper industry. With successful examples like Harry Potter, there is hope for places like the priceless, ancient forests of Clayoquot Sound.

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

One Sticker That Can Save Thousands of Trees

Speaking of reducing waste....

...These Come from Trees is an inspired "guerrilla public service announcement" started by a concerned individual that is sweeping the nation.

Testing by the creators of the sticker has convinced them that application of the sticker inspires people to think twice, and grab only what they need, resulting in savings of up to 100 pounds of paper every year. Multiplied many times over by the massive opportunites around for placement of the sticker, the savings could be huge.

You can visit the blog of the project to learn more and to order stickers. Get 'em and stick 'em.

Xerox High Yield Business Paper: Costs less trees and $$

A new paper line introduced by Xerox this week reminds us that paper use efficiency is a key piece of any institutions responsible paper purchasing policy. Doing so not only conserves natural resources, it can also reduce organizational costs.

The company released High Yield Business Paper this week, claiming:

"High Yield Business Paper uses 90 percent of the tree versus only 45 percent being used to create traditional digital printing paper. In addition, High Yield Business Paper requires less water and chemicals and is produced in a plant using hydroelectricity to partially power the pulping process. This process reduces fossil fuel use and results in up to a 75 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions."
Conservationists agree that buying paper with a high percentage of recycled content whenever possible is the most responsible choice. After this, purchasers should also consider if any virgin content comes from forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as sustainably harvested. But the new Xerox line is an innovative step in increasing efficiency, and if companies embrace it for appropriate applications as part of a comprehensive responsible paper use policy, there could be significant net gain for the environment.

For those concerned about performance of mechanically pulped paper in copiers, Xerox says it has overcome problems of some paper in the past:
"Developed by scientists and engineers at the Xerox Media and Compatibles Technology Center, a lab devoted to paper innovation located in Webster, N.Y., the Xerox High Yield Business Paper™ is a mechanical fiber paper that overcomes operational problems, such as curling and dust, which until now prevented mechanical fiber papers from being used with digital print devices."
Another way to save trees and your company's money, is also highlighted this week in Grist. GreenPrint CEO Hayden Hamilton talks about how their software saves your company money, while improving your responsibility profile.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Has IP Seen the Light?


In all likelihood the answer to that question is no, but hopefully change is on the horizon...

At the beginning of the month, IP announced that all of their mills in North America are now SFI certified and they are pursuing FSC chain of custody certification.

For those unfamiliar with certification, SFI is a do nothing industry rubber stamp for bad logging practices painted green - allowing destructive practices such as large-scale clearcutting, logging of endangered forests, and the use of toxic chemicals in the management of forests. So, no surprises here. For more information on the pitfalls of SFI visit the Alliance for Credible Forest Certification website.

Whereas this is not really news or bad news, depending on the way you read it, the intent to pursue FSC chain of custody certification could be a good thing. This all depends on whether or not they go all the way and certify all of their land, logging operations and mills or not. I am not holding my breath and it seems Dogwood Alliance isn't either. You can read their response to IP's announcement here.

To read IP's press release on the announcement, go here.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Buying Paper? Read This First.

Maybe you are a paper purchaser whose company/organization has just adopted a responsible paper purchasing policy, and you're eager to get understandable information on what the issues are. Or maybe your trying to convince your institution to adopt such a policy and be more responsible. The Environmental Paper Network has produced two new topical facts sheets this summer to help paper purchasers make informed decisions about what's in the paper they are buying.

Understanding Recycled Fiber - This fact sheet helps explain why choosing paper with high post-consumer recycled fiber is the smart and responsible choice for purchasers.

Social Impacts of the Paper Industry - This fact sheet focuses on the human impact of fiber sourcing decisions, highlighting responsible and also controversial examples, and provides recommendations to the industry, paper purchasers, and investors.

They are just two of the many resources available at the EPN's website.


Monday, June 25, 2007

Dogwood Alliance Bloggin' from Bonnaroo to the Swamp Forests

Dogwood Alliance has been blogging from across the US Southeast the last couple of weeks and is still on the road to raise awareness of the impacts of over-packaging and the damage it does to US Southern Forests. Check out video from Bonnaroo, the giant summer music festival in central Tennessee, where they spoke to thousands of people from across the US. And this week, they are on the road in coastal Virginia and North Carolina exploring endangered long-leaf pine forests and the amazing coastal swamp forests during the day, and talking to community groups in the evening. The target of their organizing? Yum! Brand Foods, whose ubiquitous and numerous fast food chains (Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC) are turning US Southern Forests into paper packaging without responsible environmental policies in place. Enjoy the video below of interviews at some Yum! fast food restaurants near endangered forests.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

A Win-Win-Win Paper Proposition for Fortune 500 CEO's

Did you know, that even with a recycling rate above 50%, the U.S. still landfills and incinerates more paper than China even uses as the second largest national consumer? Per capita in the U.S., we use more than 7 times more paper than China. There's a lot of room for improvements in efficiency in paper use, especially in U.S. offices, that can lead to significant cost savings for institutions, not to mention kudos and credit for environmental responsibility.

Enter GreenPrint. This week, GreenPrint Technologies announced an initiative to give away its paper and ink saving software to large organizations in exchange for half of the savings the software creates.

"Because the environmental benefit is so significant, we want to do everything we can to make it as easy as possible for large organizations to use GreenPrint," said GreenPrint CEO Hayden Hamilton. "We also see it as symbolic of GreenPrint's revolutionary proposition – saving money while saving the environment. Has any other company ever offered to pay the Fortune 500 to go green?"

According to studies released by Citigroup and Lexmark, wasted pages account for as much as 25% of all printed material and cost the Fortune 500 over $1 billion a year. Gartner Research estimates 1% to 3% of Fortune 500 revenues are spent on printing costs annually, and those costs are increasing every year. "Each office worker currently uses up to 50 sheets of A4 [printer] paper a day," says Louella Fernandes, Principal Analyst with Quocirca, "and estimates predict office paper consumption increasing by 20% per year on average."

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Rolling Stone Magazine Paper "Climate Neutral?"

Wenner Media yesterday announced that it is printing Rolling Stone magazine on manufactured carbon neutral paper, a process they claim adds no carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Beginning with the June 28, 2007 issue which has lengthy coverage of climate issues, Rolling Stone will print on Catalyst Cooled paper, a "planet friendly" option from Catalyst Paper. The claim is achieved through a combination of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions at the mill and offsets purchased through tree planting projects in Canada.

While the moves' intentions drew praise, and a degree of polite applause, the failure to included recycled paper elicited concerns of a missed opportunity from several expert conservation organizations. As the NY Times reports, Frank Locantore of Co-op America's Magazine PAPER Project would have advised them of a different choice. “Are the steps that Rolling Stone is taking good and important ones?” Mr. Locantore asked. “Yes. But what I’m afraid they are doing in the process is diverting attention away from the need to use recycled paper.” He added, “All the evidence shows that the greatest ecological and social benefits come from using recycled paper.”

Likewise, in the Vancouver Sun, Nicole Rycroft of Markets Iniatitive, a leading Canadian conservation group working on paper industry issues had comments as well. "They have reduced the greenhouse gas emissions of this specific mill that produces this paper," she said. "But that doesn't take into consideration the impacts of the forest being cut down to make the paper in the first place."

When asked, Rolling Stone cited concerns about recycled paper's quality. However, other magazines that have switched, such as Fast Company and Inc. which was reported in the Paper Planet this week, demonstrate that is a myth and not a legitimate concern. Mansueto Ventures, which publishes Inc. and Fast Company, announced last week that it had switched both its publications to 100 percent recycled paper and had noticed no slip in quality.

Hopefully, Rolling Stones recent steps in a positive direction will lead to continued improvement of its paper choices. They, and other companies, will find more support if they look to the conservation community's "Common Vision for the Transformation of the Pulp and Paper Industry," which provides consensus guidance on what choices are most important.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Mags and Cats on the Move to Responsible Paper

Last week saw several noteworthy announcements in the coated paper world for recycled content and FSC certified paper.

First, Mansueto Ventures says that beginning with the June issue of Inc. magazine, all Inc. and Fast Company newsstand and subscriber copies will be printed on 100 percent recycled paper. More details here.

Mansueto says that research by the Alliance for Environmental Innovation has shown that each ton of recycled fiber that displaces a ton of virgin fiber used in coated groundwood paper (stock used in magazines) reduces total energy consumption by 27 percent, reduces net greenhouse gas emission by 47 percent, reduces wastewater by 33 percent, and reduces solid waste by 54 percent.

“Printing our magazines on fully recycled paper and being a leader on the environmental front is a great way to reinforce the message we send to our 1.44 million subscribers on working smarter and creating the future of business,” said Mansueto Ventures CEO John Koten. “Doing our part to amplify environmentally responsible magazine publishing and leaving the world a better place is important to the values of our company. We encourage all publishers to do the same.

And second, L.L. Bean, the mail-order company, declined to renew its long-term contract with Verso Paper because it wants paper made under certified sustainable forestry practices that contains more recycled fiber content, the company said.

More and more companies are moving to more responsible paper everyday. What's in your paper?

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Priority Mail Delivery for Recycled Packaging

Lately, the United States Postal Service has been in the environmental hot seat. It has been facing a growing chorus of voices seeking a more effective, enforceable way to opt out of unwanted direct mail, a.k.a., junk mail.

But this week they made a notable step in the right direction environmentally. According to Postmaster General John Potter, the US Postal Service will begin using packaging made with recycled materials and take other steps to reduce its impact on the environment.

From Reuters: "Each year, the Postal Service hands out 500 million envelopes and boxes for its Priority and Express mail, its fastest delivery options.

By making those packages with recycled materials and using less ink and more biodegradable adhesives, the service hopes to keep more than 15,000 metric tons of carbon emissions, which contribute to climate change, out of the air."

Using their purchasing power to drive environmental innovation in paper products, they join a rapidly growing list of large institutions doing the same. The Post Office says it worked with over 200 suppliers on making the environmental and design improvements.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Knowing the Score of Your Paper

This week, in Vienna, Austria, WWF launched a new tool to help paper producers score the environmental quality of their products.

Suitable for all paper grades — from high-quality business paper to packaging paper — the WWF Paper Scorecard is a simple all-in-one tool that covers the main environmental impacts of paper production, including forest management and efficient use of fibres, CO2 emissions from use of fossil fuels that contribute to climate change, and pollution from chlorinated compounds and waste.

According to WWF, the scorecard, unveiled at the international paper industry event Prima 2007, enables responsible paper producers to show how they can minimize negative environmental impacts of the paper products they sell, while at the same time helping paper buyers to select the most environmentally-friendly papers. For paper producers and users willing to improve, the scorecard can be used to further measure environmental performance over time.

“The new scorecard is a self-evaluation tool for the industry and also a test of their transparency," says Margareta Renstrom of WWF.

What are your thoughts on this new tool? Share your comments.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

First 100% Recycled Coated Sheets Hit the Market

New Leaf Paper is launching Sakura 100, a new product representing a significant advance in the category of recycled coated sheets. New Leaf Sakura 100 is designated Ancient Forest Friendly™ and manufactured with Green-e® certified renewable wind energy. It is the first coated paper manufactured from 100% post-consumer waste (PCW).

Environmental attributes of New Leaf Sakura 100 reflect New Leaf Paper’s holistic approach to sustainability:
· 100% post-consumer waste, which preserves forests and reduces landfill and greenhouse gas emissions
· Processed chlorine free, which helps keep rivers free of poisonous bleaching products
· Designated Ancient Forest Friendly™, which reflects the highest environmental standard in North America
· Manufactured with 100% Green-e® certified renewable wind energy, which helps reduce the nation’s output of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming

New Leaf Paper is the largest paper company in the U.S. that deals exclusively in environmentally superior papers. Since 1998, the San Francisco-based company has led the paper industry in developing and distributing environmentally responsible papers that compete aesthetically and economically with leading virgin-fiber products. New Leaf Paper offers a selection of more than 30 coated, uncoated, and board grade papers, many with 100% post-consumer waste recycled content; its inventory products are all manufactured with Green-e® certified renewable wind power and biogas energy.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Frank Locantore - Mover and Shaker

Co-Op America's Wood-Wise Program Director has won a prestigious award, and one that is well deserved. Folio magazine has named him "one of the top magazine 'Industry Influencers'". Frank has been trying to move the magazine industry to use more reyccled paper and get on the green bandwagon, not a small task. Congratulations Frank!

Here's the news. And while you're there check out resources for getting your magazine onboard.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Google Earth Video Shows Threat to Caribou

Our paper choices really do have an impact all the way back in the forest, and sometimes they can come into conflict with the survival of amazing, important wildlife.

A 3 minute video (below) released last week by ForestEthics entitled, "Cutting Down Caribou," provides a startling perspective on clearcutting's impact on habitat in the Rocky Mountain Foothills of Alberta, Canada. Thanks to striking, creative use of Google Earth technology, ForestEthics gives us a reason to be concerned and to act accordingly as responsible consumers.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Overconsumption Illustrated

Its hard to even imagine a stack of 15 million sheets of office paper but artist Chris Jordan has created graphic images that can help.

A sampling of the current work, described as an American self-portrait, is available online, and dramatically illustrates the voracious consumption of American society.

In the artists' own words,

This new series looks at contemporary American culture through the austere lens of statistics. Each image portrays a specific quantity of something: fifteen million sheets of office paper (five minutes of paper use); 106,000 aluminum cans (thirty seconds of can consumption) and so on. My hope is that images representing these quantities might have a different effect than the raw numbers alone, such as we find daily in articles and books. Statistics can feel abstract and anesthetizing, making it difficult to connect with and make meaning of 3.6 million SUV sales in one year, for example, or 2.3 million Americans in prison, or 426,000 cell phones retired every day. This project visually examines these vast and bizarre measures of our society, in large intricately detailed prints assembled from thousands of smaller photographs.
Its definitely worth a look, and will make you think twice about printing that next email.

Monday, April 23, 2007

Move Over Office Depot, Now There's Something Greener


We all know by now that green is the new black. Not only is it Hollywood-chic, it also seems to be becoming incredibly profitable for many companies to go green or at least appear to go green.

Of course Earth Day season is upon us and every company under the sun is scrambling for positive PR by doing everything from sponsoring local Earth Day events to running special sales or in the case of Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) launching a green portal and providing 10 tips on going green.

The tips varied from buying "greener" products to recycling to buying your very own renewable energy credits. You can check out the whole list here.

Tips are nice, but we all know action speaks louder than words, and so it was refreshing to read a story in Sunday's San Jose Mercury News that highlighted Green Earth Office Supply in San Jose, CA that not only talks the talk, but walks the walk selling all things green from clipboards made of reclaimed materials like Silicon Valley's old circuit boards to 100% recycled paper to compostable silverware. As I said before, action speaks louder than words, so I'll shut up and you can click here to read the story.

Happy Earth Day!

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Survey Says....Recycled Paper!

Business take notice: A survey released this week by Cone, Inc. reveals that Americans report increased environmental consciousness and an expectation that companies will take action.

The 2007 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey released today finds one-third of Americans (32%) report heightened interest in the environment compared to a year ago. In addition, they are overwhelmingly looking to companies to act: 93% of Americans believe companies have a responsibility to help preserve the environment.

What does this mean specifically for paper companies and high profile paper users? Some of the surveys other findings are directly relevant. Among specific company actions identified was designing products/packaging with more environmentally-friendly contents and minimal packaging - expected by 69% of the public, second only to reducing pollution.

Among those Americans who report buying environmentally-friendly products, at the top of the list of what they buy are products with recycled content - at 62%.

The bottom line? The vast majority of Americans (91%) say they have a more positive image of a company when it is environmentally responsible. On the flip side, almost as many (85%) indicated they would consider switching to another company's products or services because of a company's negative corporate responsibility practices.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

A Spring Crop of "Green" Glossy Mags

Its been amazing to witness the flood of media on environmental issues pouring through the airwaves, print media and cyberspace in the last year or so. For those pioneers that marched on the first Earth Day, it must feel satisfying, and long overdue.

As vigilant advocates for sustainability and savvy consumers, how do we sift through all the eco-pop culture for the real stuff. And how can we know if those who are selling us this news and information are doing the right thing themselves.

Take magazines for example. You may have witnessed the abundance of "Green" issues of your favorite magazines available on the shelves at the check-out line this month, such as Vanity Fair's 2nd annual. Personally, I think this represents a good step forward.

But one can't help but ask, "isn't all that paper contributing to climate change and loss of our forests?" Well, actually, yes, it is.

"Surely, they are printed on recycled paper though, right?" Well, actually, probably not. According to Co-op America's Magazine PAPER Project, out of 18,000 mags in circulation, only about 100 use any amount of recycled fiber. Wow.

In the midst of this media flood of eco-information, outlets that want to set themselves apart in the market as authoritative voices would be well served to themselves embrace the readily available environmental alternatives that they encourage their readers to take on, in particular, printing on post-consumer recycled paper. The benefits would be tremendous. They can find out how its "Different, Not Difficult," by reading a smart little publication found here.

Monday, April 16, 2007

A Bite of Wisdom on Eco-Friendly Office Paper

The ever witty, wise and easily digestable Ideal Bite is running an "Eco-Friendly Office Week." Today's "Daily Bite" is called "Looking Good on Paper."

Some suggestions were lovingly added to the blog comments on behalf of the Paper Planet that you might want to check out as well.

Specifically, we would really love to see PrintingForLess.com, recommended in the tip, do a little better job offering its customers recycled paper. Their green built offices and other actions demonstrate their awareness of the environmental imperative, which should lead to changes in their business practicies regarding paper. Currently, the word recycled can not be found on their website, and recycled paper is not listed as one of their paper offerings. They have assurred me that a customer can abort the online ordering process and call and special request recycled paper, which is nice. But common sense dictates this is less than "ideal."

Friday, April 13, 2007

Martha Stewart Knows: Junk Mail's A No-No

Reducing junk mail isn't just good for the earth, now it's stylish, too! This Monday, the Center for a New American Dream's Do Not Junk campaign will be featured on the Martha Stewart Show, including an overview of resources to help individuals remove themselves from unwanted direct mail lists. You can find out what time the show airs in your town here.


Its Friday the 13th, Let's Debunk Recycled Paper Myths

This quick news clip featuring Conservatree's Susan Kinsella, a founder of the Environmental Paper Network, dispels some of the pervasive myths around recycled paper. Share it with 10 people you know who buy paper, before the day is over, and you will receive good luck on this Friday the 13th!



Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Dell Does Paper Use Efficiency

Dell announced today it will reduce paper usage by offering shareholders a new way to enroll in electronic delivery of the company's annual 10-K report, proxy statement and other financial materials. The company also announced plans to avoid the use of nearly 255,000 pounds of paper by replacing the printed Year in Review with an interactive online resource center.

Dell shareholders can enroll in free electronic delivery of financial materials by visiting the Investor Relations section of the company's Web site. Under the expanded program, shareholders will have access to Web-based reports, executive messages and can receive timely information on Dell's global business. The company estimates total potential savings of 678,000 pounds of paper, or the equivalent of more than 7,000 trees if 100 percent of its shareholders participate.

Sunday, April 01, 2007

China Drives the Illegal Logging Train


Check out this article from today's Washington Post that exposes China's rampant expansion into the world of illegal logging. This damaging expose will certainly send chills up and down your spine.

In 1998, when devestating floods killed 3,600 people in China's Yangtze River Valley, the government launched a massive reforestation program to help turn the tide for the nation's environment. Unfortunately, as logging production decreased in China, Western appetite for cheap wood products did not, leading to China's increased importing of wood from some of the world's hotspots of illegal logging, including Indonesia, Burma and more. And unfortunately, some of the West's greenest companies are scooping it up, with little or no knowledge of its origins.

Read the full story here.

Friday, March 30, 2007

Eco-Hunks: Gerard Gleason and Leonardo DiCaprio

Two men we can all admire are on a mission to help us understand our paper choices and what we can do to take action.

First, the dashing Gerard Gleason, longtime leading expert in the field and the go-to guy for companies needing advice on how to score environmentally friendly paper in clutch situations, has launched his own blog this week. Don't miss it. Paper Thought, will offer expert advice on environmental paper issues, a nice complement to the Paper Planet's content. In Gerard's own words,

"Expect the blog to be full tilt, informative and dripping with sarcasm. A cross between "Ask Andy" and a scolding "Ms. Manners". But no "eco-groovy-tidbit-niche stuff" here...this is going to be about what needs to be done to make environmental paper a reality."
And for all the Leonardo DiCaprio fans wanting something with an equally noble message but a little more fluff, we thought we'd share this clip from Ecorazzi.Com, a blog about celebrity environmental gossip. This short video encourages viewers to "Be Green Like Leo" and includes tips on stopping your unwanted junk mail and encouragement to buy post-consumer recycled products.