Paper Information and Resources

Recycled Paper

Recycled paper is the end product of paper recycling. The production of recycled paper has significant environmental advantages over virgin (nonrecycled) paper production, including less impact on forest resources, less air pollution, less water pollution, less water consumption, less energy consumption, and less solid waste. (To compare the environmental impacts of specific types of recycled and virgin papers, use the Environmental Defense's web-based Paper Calculator.) 

Recycled paper is produced in most varieties that virgin paper is produced, with quality generally equal to virgin paper. According to the American Forest and Paper Association, in 2007 recovered paper accounted for more than 37 percent of fiber used to make new paper products in the U.S.

"Buy recycled" programs are those that encourage or require consumers to purchase recycled products. In the case of paper, buy recycled programs are essential to increase the economy of scale for recycled paper production so that recycled paper can compete on a "level playing field" with virgin paper.

CalRecycle Websites

Buy Recycled Programs: CalRecycle's buy recycled programs promote the State's policy to "buy green." The programs assist procurement officers of the Department of General Services (DGS), all other State agencies, local governments, and private businesses in establishing and maintaining practices for purchasing recycled-content products, with a special emphasis on fine printing and writing papers. One program, that for newsprint, is the State's only regulatory program affecting the purchase of recycled paper in the private sector.

Recycled-Content Product Directory: CalRecycle's recycled-content product directory contains listings of recycled paper products (and other recycled products) available from suppliers at various levels of the consumer product chain (i.e., manufacturer, converter, and distributor) throughout the U.S.

Other Websites

Conservatree: This website is a comprehensive information source that identifies the numerous types and brands of recycled printing and writing papers produced and where you can purchase them in large and small quantities. The site also provides considerable information about the myriad of issues affecting recycled paper. 

The centerpiece of the site is the "Conservatree Guide to Environmentally Sound Printing and Writing Papers," which provides detailed information about each brand of paper listed, including the company that produces it, the overall percentage of recovered fiber, the percentage of postconsumer fiber, brightness, weights and colors available, etc.

Recycled Products Purchasing Cooperative: The Recycled Products Purchasing Cooperative (RPPC) is a nonprofit program dedicated to natural resource conservation. The goal of the co-op is to increase the use of recycled copy paper on a national basis. The RPPC is accomplishing this goal by providing 30 percent postconsumer recycled paper at prices which meet or beat what many entities pay for non-recycled or "virgin fiber" paper. The RPPC is made possible through the efforts of Solana Recyclers, Inc., of Encinitas, California, and funding support by the U.S. EPA Region 9.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Comprehensive Procurement Guideline for Paper and Paper Products: This website provides information about recycled paper procurement guidelines for the Federal government. The recycled-content standards in the guidelines are commonly used by private businesses throughout the U.S. Includes the actual recommended recovered fiber/postconsumer fiber content ranges for a wide variety of paper and paper products.

CalRecycle Publications

CalRecycle "Buy Recycled" Publications: This page lists CalRecycle's publications addressing recycled paper (as well as other recycled products).