The green buzz is out there, and it’s not going away. Twenty plus years ago we saw a huge surge in the market for recycled papers. Almost as quickly as it began, it dissipated, because at the time, the paper industry wasn’t prepared. You had to pay a premium for an inferior product. But fear not, the market has spoken, and the paper industry has responded. Here are some tips to help you take steps toward greener pastures.

1. Request certified paper sources — The two most prevalent forestry certification organizations in the U.S. are the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). The purpose of these two organizations is to make sure the harvesting of trees and management of forests is done in environmentally and socially responsible ways. Requesting that materials be printed on paper originating from certified sources ensures that you are contributing to positive sustainability practices.

Requesting that materials be printed on paper originating from certified sources ensures that you are contributing to positive sustainability practices.

Each organization has a chain-of-custody (CoC) certification that tracks the raw materials from the certified lands, to the paper manufacturer, to the paper merchant, and finally to the printer — all of which must have CoC certification. By maintaining this chain, we are able to place an FSC or SFI logo on your print materials. So, not only are you making an environmentally responsible choice, you’re also letting your constituents know it.

2. Check the recycled content — It’s important to note that not all FSC-certified or SFI-certified papers are recycled. Within each certification type, there are papers ranging anywhere from virgin paper (no recycled content) to 100% post-consumer waste (PCW) recycled content. Many coated papers (such as gloss, dull, or matte) are 10% PCW; some paper stocks contain as much as 30% PCW (very few coated papers carry a recycled content above 30%). There are quite a few uncoated papers available with 100% PCW recycled content. Be sure to specify if you want to print your marketing materials on recycled paper in addition to using FSC- or SFI-certified papers.

3. Compare costs — Not all recycled paper is more expensive than non-recycled paper. Recycled papers are getting more and more competitive with their virgin counterparts. One hundred percent PCW papers can be as much as 10% higher in cost. On the other hand, some of the 10-30% PCW papers are comparable in price with non-recycled equivalents.

4. Look for quality – Recycled paper quality has improved greatly over the last decade. It’s a common misconception that recycled papers are discolored, rough, or flecked with colored fragments, but this is no longer the case. Both the appearance and printability of recycled papers are now on par with most virgin papers. In fact, it’s hard — if not impossible in some cases — to tell the difference when comparing paper swatches or print samples.

There are also a few paper mills making even greener strides by manufacturing papers using hydroelectric-generated power or wind power. Mohawk Paper has an environmental calculator to help you quantify the environmental impact of going green on your next printing project.

More on certification: To FSC or SFI? That is the question.