Behind the Chemistry Of Going Green: Ask lots of questions about the makeup of your catalog’s materials

By Kathy Hecht

Recycled paper is produced by adding recycled pulp to virgin pulp. (Because fibers wear out, it’s always necessary to supplement recycled pulp with virgin fiber.) There are two broad types of recycled material: preconsumer and postconsumer.

● Preconsumer material is collected prior to reaching its final user. A good example of this is printing waste. This type of material is easiest to recover and the least expensive to recycle because of the limited number of contaminants.