Environmental
Resource Center

An Environmental Resource Center Asset from Graphic Communications

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. According to Earth911, these are the things companies and individuals can do to help preserve natural resources and protect the environment. Reacting, they say, is the obvious next step. If you’re ready to learn more and get started, or bolster your existing program, the recycling resources we’ve gathered here can help get you on your way.

Check out the documents below, and remember to spend time with our other environment information.

Why Can’t We Reach 100% Paper Recovery Rates?
Paper is recovered and recycled at rates far higher than other materials, but we don’t target 100% recovery because it is an unattainable goal based on how performance is measured.

Defining Recycled Content in Paper Products
Despite the fact that paper products with recycled content have been around nearly forever, there is still much confusion regarding basic definitions.

Recycling Surveys Fail Manufacturers, Earth911 Says
Traditional surveys of recycling methods and rates around the U.S. tend to give a distorted picture to manufacturers looking to promote the recyclability of their products, according to a report by Earth911.

Paper Packaging Produced in Canada Nears 80% Recycled Content
Thirty mills in Canada are capable of producing packaging grades. Of those, almost two thirds produce products with 100% recycled content. The average has reached a current high of 77%.

National Recovery Rates for Recycling of Direct Mail Now Surpass 60%
The EPA has found that standard mail, which comprises 1.9 percent of all municipal solid waste, was recovered and recycled in 2009 at a rate of 63.4 percent.

Paper Has a Head Start – the Public Ought to Know
Paper is the most recycled product in the world. When made responsibly, it’s difficult to find a more sustainable material because of its unique features.

Boise Paper Recycling Video
Check out this video from Boise about their paper recycling process and certifications.

Find Local Recycling Centers Instantly
Earth911 is a premier environmental resource for source reduction, reuse, and recycling information.

How to Use the Recycled Logo
Graphic provides sample statements that should accompany proper use of the recycled logo in print communications.

US Recycling Rates Rise, But Remain Below Potential
In 2009, the US generated 243 million tons of municipal solid waste, and of this, 82 million tons were recycled.

The Lowdown on Landfills
Americans generate daily an average of 4.6 pounds of trash per person. So, where does it go?

The Pizza Box Mystery
Many people assume that a pizza box is recyclable. However, what makes part of it non-recyclable is what comes inside.

Recycling Mysteries: Tires
A breakdown of the ins and outs of recycling and properly disposing of your worn out wheels.

Consequences of Increasing Recycled Fiber
Forestweb discusses the pros and cons of recycled paper from a producer, publisher, and environmental perspective.

Virgin vs. Recycled Fiber: An Unnecessary Battle
Virgin fiber harvested using recognized third-party certified sustainable forestry practices is as environmentally sound as the use of recycled fiber.

How is Fiber Recycled?
Learn how wastepaper is made usable again and why more recycled content isn’t always better.

Single Stream Recycling Adds Another Hurdle
Producers of recycled paper are encountering another hurdle to utilizing recycled fiber since the single stream recycling process change in the ’90s.

Those Endangered Recycled Newsprint Machines – Follow Up
Rising recycled fiber prices endanger paper mills.

Europe Finds Clean Energy in Trash
Why hasn’t the U.S. moved to this clean source of energy?

What Not to Put in the Bin
It may seem simple to determine what doesn’t go in a recycling bin because of the labels, but unfortunately, it’s not that straightforward.

AF&PA Announces Increase in Paper Recovery to a Record 63.4 Percent
The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) announced that a record-high 63.4 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling in 2009.

Eco-Speak: A User’s Guide to the Language of Recycling
The Federal Trade Commission provides this guide to the language of recycling.  (Guide updates due soon, but this document still contains timeless, valuable info.)

Toxic E-waste and E-energy Requirements Are Serious Problems
New methods of electronic communication are consuming massive amounts of energy.  Toxic e-waste is accumulating in landfills.  What will the future bring?

Best Buy Wants Your Electronic Junk
The retailer’s recycling program seems expensive to run, until you look at the benefits: a green reputation and a way to get customers into stores.

Where Does Paper Go?
Learn what happens to various kinds of paper after they’re recovered for recycling.

Buying Recycled Paper: Guidelines from the EPA
Buying recycled paper just got easier with these Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Simply Green: Straight Talk on Sustainability
Verso Paper speaks on paper recycling and recycled content products.

European Paper and Board Recycling Chain
This chart from CEPI shows the agents in the European recycling chain, their function, and what they produce.