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The Recycled Paper Primer : What is recycled paper, exactly...?
Some basic info on the various recycled paper categories:
Recycled paper. What does it mean, exactly? There are 3 basic kinds of commercial recycled paper. The best from an ecological POV is
This is paper that gets thrown back into the pot, so to speak. It's all the excess and waste created by the papermaking process, trimmed off during fabrication. This is generally called: RECYCLED CONTENT. Basically, it is all virgin pulp.
Paper that gets returned, old stock, unsold inventory, etc. This is paper that may have been converted into cut sheets, but was not printed on, or glued, and was never sold.
Called end product, this is any paper that has been used by any consumer. Newspapers, magazines, office waste, anything we bring to the curb. In terms of true recycled paper, this is the only catagory that really counts.
Many post consumer waste papers will blend the amount of recycled fiber with virgin fiber. The most basic (and the amount required by law for government used photocopy paper) is 30 percent post consumer recycled. If a company is actively promoting this as a green alternative, they are probably greenwashing. You want to look for 70 - 100 percent postconsumer recycled content.
Conservatree has extremely detailed descriptions for recycled paper.
Tappi (a papermakers association) has a good description of how the paper you recycle gets converted into new paper.
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