Starting work on a project that will require paper. The most important features of the paper will be durability and price, but also as ecologically friendly as possible. Tree-free and non-chlorined bleached paper is preferred. I’ve noticed that some paper-products are made from hemp and cotton, although I feel that using recycled materials uses less water in manufacturing than raw hemp or cotton.
There are some codes we need to know about in paper-labeling, they are:
PCF (Process Chlorine-Free) — fiber is recycled and unbleached, or bleached without the use of additional chlorine or chlorine additives
TCF (Totally Chlorine-Free) — indicates virgin fiber (including virgin tree-fiber) that is unbleached, or bleached without the use of additional chlorine or chlorine additives
* In both PCF and TCF, bleaching is done with benign elements. It is important to note that the recycled material in PCF may have been bleached with chlorine or chlorine derivatives.
ECF (Elemental Chlorine-Free) — virgin or recycled fiber bleached with chlorine dioxide or other chlorine compounds. Cleaner than gas bleaching, however still creates environmentall hazardous toxins.
PCW (Post-consumer Waste) — material collected from end-users and recycled. Diverts solid waste from landfills.**
**Fibers can only be recycled about 7 times before needing to add virgin fibers, so look for high PCW proportions.
For the project, I think PCF or TCF will be fine, and of course, a high PCW level.
Source: Ecological Guide to Paper
