Post-consumer waste
Is paper which has been used by the intended end-consumer. So this includes:
- Used office papers, which typically have been used for photocopying, or laser or inkjet printing.
- Used envelopes
- Old magazines, newspapers etc.
- Used milk and juice cartons (made from cardboard)
Pre-consumer waste
Is paper which has been discarded by a printer or manufacture, before it gets to the consumer. This includes:
- Trimmings from printers, or envelope manufacturers.
- Printed paper where there is something wrong with the print job
- Small amounts of paper left on a reel, which are uneconomic to use in another run.
- Faulty paper
- Overmakes etc.
From an environmental point of view, there is no distinction between pre-consumer waste and post-consumer waste. What matters is that by recycling the paper, we prevent it from going to the tip and adding to landfill.
Broke
Is waste paper which is generated within the paper mill. This includes:
- Trimmings
- Paper made at the start of a run which is not quite within specifications.
- Paper with any faults, e.g. paper with holes or creases, or paper which is not
within specifications for any other reason.
Broke is a normal part of papermaking,
and it is either recycled immediately or it is stored for later recycling.
Australian Paper follows Australian Standard 4082, and only counts broke
as recycled fibre if it was made from recycled fibre (from outside the mill)
in the first place. Some overseas manufacturers may adopt a more relaxed
definition. For example, in Europe broke is traded between papermills, and
is likely to be counted as recycled.
Elemental Chlorine Free and Totally Chlorine Free (ECF / TCF)
When paper is produced from wood it has discolourations that occur due to tannins
and lignins within the wood structure. For most consumers these discolourations
would be unacceptable for printing purposes and must be removed by bleaching.
ECF pulps are bleached with a derivative of chlorine that minimises any environmental
impact. TCF pulp is bleached without any chlorine.
Forest Stewardship Council
An international organisation promoting responsible forest management. FSC has
developed principles for forest management which may be used for verifying the
management of forest holdings and a system of tracing, verifying and labelling
timber and wood products that originate from FSC certified forests. |
