The National
Association of Paper Merchants
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NAPM Approved Recycled Marks The NAPM recovered fibre definition states Paper and board qualities seeking to be certified with one of the NAPM Recycled Paper Marks must be manufactured from a minimum of 50%, 75% or 100% genuine paper and board waste fibre, no part of which should contain mill produced waste. The NAPM defines genuine recovered fibre in the following terms: 1. Converters Waste: waste that has left the mill and is waste from a cutting or slitting operation 2. Printers waste: printed or unprinted - waste collected from a printing operation and may be either 'trimmings' (guillotine waste), 'overs', 'rejects' or any other similar waste received direct from a printer. 3. Domestic/Office waste: waste collected from either of these places - it may be printed or unprinted. 4. Newsstand Returns 5. Other - for example industrial waste, agricultural waste etc Any combination of the above can go towards the 50%, 75% or 100% genuine recovered fibre minimum. Under no circumstances can Mill Broke, Virgin Wood Fibre or Virgin Non-wood Fibre contribute to genuine recovered fibre.
With regard to the NAPM Certified Recycled mark, we would prefer no reference to be made to the A, B, C or D classifications of waste. It is not always easy to determine the recycled fibre content. Currently, a number of labeling schemes exist to inform consumers of the composition of recycled paper and the source of the recycled content. An example of this is the A, B, C & D classification system (table 11), which was agreed by a group of recycled paper suppliers. Although widely used, this system has not been adopted by the whole of the industry but it is a valuable guide and enables the right questions to be put when specifying recycled paper.
B - Woodfree, unprinted waste. The paper has not been used or written on. It
is called post-industrial or pre-consumer waste. This does not contain any
post-consumer waste. Only marginal environmental benefits. C - Woodfree, printed waste. This includes
computer printouts, white copier and printing papers, top class printed
literature, usually de-inked. Almost all of this paper is post-consumer
waste. Significant environmental benefits through waste reduction and
conservation of energy and forests. D - Mechanically pulped printed waste, such as newsprint. All the paper is post-consumer, low-grade waste, much of it from domestic sources. Greatest environmental benefit. |
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