Paper is made from cellulose fibre, the source of which can be either pulped wood, or a variety of other materials, such as rags, cotton, grasses, sugar cane, straw, waste paper... Wood pulp is usually the most common source material for the manufacture of virgin paper, i.e. paper which has no recycled content.

Paper cannot be recycled indefinitely: it can only be recycled 4-6 times, as the fibres get shorter and weaker each time. Some virgin pulp must be introduced into the process to maintain the strength and quality of the fibre. As a consequence, no matter how much we recycle, we will always need some virgin fibre to produce paper.

Advantages of recycling paper

* Disposal problems of waste paper are reduced.
* The production of recycled paper enables to save 28-70% of the energy necessary to produce virgin paper and uses less water. For example, for every tonne of recycled paper it is possible to save 30,000 litres of water and 3-4,000 KWh electricity.
* Recycled paper produces fewer polluting emissions to air and water. This happens because recycled paper is not usually re-bleached, thus reducing the amounts of dioxins released into the environment as a result of bleaching processes using chlorine.
* As paper is biodegradable, when rotting it produces a strong greenhouse gas such as methane. In order to reduce the effects of global warming, methane and carbon dioxide emissions need to be cut.
* With the increase in demand for wood pulp to produce paper, many old forests have been replaced by plantations of fast-growing conifers, thus causing the loss of a number of wildlife habitats and ecosystems. In addition, low tree species diversity in managed woods and plantations reduces the biodiversity of the whole area.

The most common types of paper which can be recycled are:

* Office white paper and computer print paper
* Newspapers, magazines, and pamphlets
* Cardboard
* Mixed or coloured paper

So how do you make a “green” book?

First of all, it is no longer the case that recycled paper costs more than their conventional counterparts: many publishers are able to meet environmental goals while achieving cost parity.

The first step in producing a “green” book is using recycled paper, of course. An excellent option is paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international organization with the aim to find solutions which promote responsible management of the world’s forests. Its product label allows consumers worldwide to recognize products that support the growth of responsible forest stewardship worldwide.

A good choice is employing paper that is labeled “Totally Chlorine-Free” (for paper sourced from virgin fiber), or “Processed Chlorine Free” (for paper containing recycled fiber), thus reducing the amount of water used to bleach the paper and the toxins released in the environment. Another way to cut down toxic emissions is using vegetable-based inks.

More radical ways to save paper include choosing to publish lighter books, which need a smaller amount of paper, and resorting to digital e-books or audiobooks. There require no paper or cover materials, no fuel for transportation (as they can be dowloaded), and their production costs are very low. Though it’s likely that digital books will never totally replace paper and ink, producing and publicizing them can reduce environmental impacts while increasing profit margins.

Resources:

* Paper recycling information sheet
* Paper recycling on Wikipedia
* How to Green Your Book
* TreeHugger: How to Go Green