As much as 77% of people are interested in eco-friendly living. People are becoming increasingly aware of the impact our decisions make on the environment and are taking action to do something about it.
While it’s an exciting change, it doesn’t happen overnight; sustainability happens in baby steps. A great place to start is with eco-friendly paper.
Sustainable paper is a wonderful choice, considering 160,000 trees are used to make paper each year.
Curious about how to incorporate environmentally-friendly paper into your life? Let’s get started!
Eco-Friendly Paper: What is It?
When you go to the store to buy paper products, do you ever stop to consider how it got there or where it came from?
Wood pulp is the main ingredient in a traditional paper. It takes an impressive amount of energy and resources to create traditional paper and has a profoundly negative impact on the environment.
As the paper is made in a factory, a variety of chemicals are released into the air like methanol and formaldehyde.
Also, to get the paper bright white, it undergoes a bleaching process. Bleach escapes into our water system and can cause a host of problems for both animals and humans.
Eco-friendly paper exists to reduce the carbon footprint on the environment. Instead of wood pulp, it’s composed of recycled paper and Forest Stewardship Council (FCS) recycled paper. The FCS is an organization that oversees the sustainability of forests.
How to Find Eco-Friendly Paper
So, how do you find the eco-friendly paper?
For the most part, you can find eco-friendly paper at most stores that sell paper products, either in-store or online. In general, though, there are a few things to keep in mind if you want environmentally friendly paper.
Look for the FCS label. This means that the product is FCS certified and meets quality and strict standards. The FCS is very responsible and its products are third-party tested.
Keep in mind, that if you’re purchasing eco-friendly paper for a company or business, it will have a very different look and feel due to its production. The traditionally-manufactured paper has a crisp white appearance, while the look of eco-friendly paper may be incredibly diverse and beautiful, as the papers from Washi paper.
If you’re a company looking to become more sustainable, this is a great first step. Clients and other business partners may look favorably on this decision.
If you cannot find FCS-labeled paper, look for 100% recycled paper instead.
Types of Eco-Friendly Paper Products
When you think of paper, only a sheet of paper may come to mind. But you might be surprised to know about the variety of paper products available that are sustainable.
Here are a few:
- Printer paper
- Paper towel
- Paper cups
- Tissue
- Notebooks
- Paper bags
- Napkins
- Takeout containers
- Toilet paper
- Paper plates
- Wrapping paper
If you have a paper product in mind but are unsure if it’s available as an eco-friendly option, do some research to see what you can find.
Sustainable Paper for a Better Planet
Eco-friendly paper is an excellent choice in your journey to becoming more sustainable. If you want to learn more about the environment or your local news, check out our webpage!
