Since the environment and saving our trees is important to us at Ry Stephens Design. We wanted to share some helpful facts about recycled paper and the difference between recycled and post consumer.
Purchasing any form of recycled paper is a step in the right direction. However there are different levels of recycled paper and some are better than others. Since 1998 most copy paper contains 30% recycled paper. Meaning 30% of the paper used to create the paper are recovered materials. This is good but not great. The best form of recycled paper you can purchase is 100% post consumer recycled paper, sometimes abbreviated as 100 PC. Paper made of 100% Post-consumer material is made entirely from the end product that has completed its life cycle as a consumer item and would otherwise have been disposed of as a solid waste.
Since we opened up in the fall of 2007 Ry Stephens Design has been using high quality 100% post consumer white cardstock and envelopes. Although we wish our colored textured papers were also 100% post consumer it is extremely difficult to find a high quality colored papers and we had to settle for 30% recycled.
Next time you pick up a greeting card or paper from your neighborhood office store check the back to see if it is made from recycled paper.
Caution: There are currently no laws or regulations on the recycled symbol. Many companies put it on their products and state it is recyclable. This does not mean it is recycled. Look for the recycled content. For example, all our cards are marked with the recycled symbol and the words 100% post consumer.
