It was when Jennifer Stambolsky was planning her own wedding that she found a lack of wedding invitations for the modern bride that were both gorgeous & eco-friendly. With a love of nature combined with a love of beautiful stationery, she launched EarthlyAffair.com.

Choose from two environmentally friendly papers, a premium 100% Recycled Post Consumer Recycled paper that uses no new trees and a heavyweight 60% Recycled (30% Post Consumer) Cotton paper that is Forest Stewardship Counsel certified. All envelopes are made of 100% post consumer waste, FSC certified and processed without the use of chlorine. Not only that but they are a carbon neutral business purchasing CO2 offsets for emissions caused by conducting business and shipping through carbonfund.org.

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Image source: Ecofriend.org

A Green Printer Online Dispatch

Do you scoff at company-made labels (i.e. internal labels) and only go for the non-profit, third party born eco-labels when buying green office supplies? Or do you take both with a grain of salt, comparing the merits of “private” and “public” labels?

If you’re the latter or if you are a green procurer, you probably want to streamline the “boom! done, I’m buying that product - not that one - because it has a trusty brand” process. So, here are the ins and outs of some of the up and coming brands that you’ll see in Staples, online or in a custom office paper supply shop.

The CEO - ENVIRONMENT®
Description
Just like the CEO, this paper covers all the recycled paper rounds. It’s reliable, it’s got experience (comes in smooth, felt, laid, and parchment finishes) and it’s around internationally.

You can buy either 100% post-consumer recycled, FSC-certified fibers, specialty fibers or 100% recycled with 30% post-consumer fiber from the entire line. Plus it’s cost-efficient.

What this paper is best for
Acid free and archival, so it’s ideal for scrap booking. It comes in different colours (all 22 of them) and is fit for the renewable energy expert at your office - all papers are made entirely with Green-e Certified renewable energy

What it’s not so good for
If you are looking for 100% post-consumer line of paper only - this one also carries 30% post-consumer fiber paper type.

The Verdict?
It’s a flexible, no fail solution - just takes some time to choose paper amongst the large selection.

The Office Eco-Star - Astrolite PC 100
Like that person who spearheaded the green team at your work, was the first to buy a hybrid and talk about installing solar panels over the weekend - this paper is an eco-star. In fact, it’s one of the cleanest, brightest, and smoothest recycled paper types available. It’s also FSC-certified so you can be sure it contains only de rigeur 100% post-consumer recycled fiber.

What this paper is best for
Um, everything: from business cards to product sheets, especially since Astrolite PC comes in a thicker, new 130lb double thick cover.

What it’s not so good for
What’s not to like?

The Verdict?
100% reliable just like the Office Eco-Star.

The Design Connoisseur - ChorusArt
Description
ChorusArt paper has top-quality triple coating, giving it a slick yet totally eco-chic feel to it.

What this paper is best for
Shiny-er, glossy-er stuff with the FSC stamp on it: catalogues, book covers, magazine covers, direct mail, inserts and flyers, books, art books, magazines, commercial printing, supplements, annual reports, brochures and more. This paper is FSC-certified, guaranteeing that the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council are respected and that the pulp the paper is made of consists of a mixture of fibers from certified forests and post-consumer recycling processes from controlled sources.

What it’s not so good for
Depending on what you want to use this paper for, it has a lighter feel to it.

The Verdict?
Your Design department will love you.

The Office Knight - The Save-a-Tree ®
Description
Just like your trusted office cubicle buddy back in the day (yes, the one who answered your harried call to finish off a research report at 1:23 am), this paper will get the job done. Made from 100% post-consumer waste, Process Chlorine Free (PCF), it also runs and prints like virgin paper - what more could you want?

What this paper is best for
Medium weight, everyday use yet “dressed to impress” paper quality that’s ideal for CSR and annual reports, stationery, newsletters, catalogues, brochures and more.

What it’s not so good for
Super thick and shiny-ish business cards - this paper has a medium weight feel to it. People that are adamant about having the FSC standard on their communications material should choose another paper product - this one does not have this label (the FSC actually came under fire last year).

The Verdict?
Your PR department or Cause Marketing team will thank you - great for communicating your corporate green committments to stakeholders and an alternative to the FSC label.

Now, if only buying coffee was so eco-conscious and those trees planted by the UN could create a domino effect..

Get these brands and more, all while tracking how much CO2, trees and wastewater you’ll save with the Eco-Widget, at Green Printer.

My son, like many boys, adores trucks. He enjoyed William is Going Green when his sister read it to her, but there is one thing about the story I find a bit awkward. I do think that city garbage trucks should have hybrid motors, but as mentioned in the book, the cost to convert a truck is expensive and not readily available. William’s reward for rescuing a cat is not the solution for most city garbage trucks, and I think it is a little misleading to children who really want to see change. Perhaps there is another way William could have gotten a new hybrid motor from recycling proceeds, donations, gas taxes, etc. Maybe I am too much of a realist, but I like my green children’s fiction to address the realities of environmental change. This part of the story didn’t bother my children at all, and they really did like it.

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A Junk Mail “Sculpture” a la http://antiadvertisingagency.com

A http://greenprinteronline.com dispatch.

We’ve come this far in our exasperation with junk mail-apalooza and now people are luring us with cold, hard cash (or the beauty of planting a tree) to get us to stop receiving virgin-forest-eating junk mail.

We’re in love with Green Dimes (thank you to Nate Burgos of Design Feast for the gread tip), which not only offers a widget that claims to track, in real time, how many:

i. trees are saved;
ii. Victoria Secret catalogues are stopped and;
iii. (tongue in cheek style) “people helped”,

but also offers a really convenient online service to cut out those annoying credit card application forms.

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Image source: http://timblair.net | Lights out for Sydney, Australia 2007

An http://greenprinteronline.com dispatch. 

Earth Hour is tonight, March 29th from 8 to 9 pm. The idea is to turn off the lights as a symbolic gesture that us citizens, business owners, uber-corporations (hello, Google’s black screen, hello McDonalds in Toronto saving 10 000 kilowatt hours) local governments and non-profit groups are taking climate change seriously.

Despite gripes that Earth Hour falls on the NCAA basketball regional, it’s lights out for over 23 major cities worldwide like Toronto and Bangkok.

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Image source | www.jiinjoo.com

An http://greenprinteronline.com dispatch.
When asked: how “green” are you, the brains behind accounting, IT and architectural firms who, kudos to them – both the closet greens or eco-warriors who proudly bear their eco-badge on their sleeve – jump up to say that they are helping their clients drive sustainability solutions.

Even lawyers are realizing their impact on their environment. No seriously, lawyers are sharp enough to know that using all that virgin paper cannot be good to the environment.

But when it comes to driving internal sustainability initiatives? Many still respond by: “we recycle”. Period.

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Photos by Chris Jordan | “Intolerable Beauty: Portraits of American Mass Consumption”

Design Goes Green - The first of a series of articles by Green Printer on the cross-section between the environment, business and the creative communications industry.

According to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, used or unwanted electronics amounted to 1.9 to 2.2 million tons in 2005, with most of that ending up in landfills. We did a post earlier on the how the chemicals that seep into the soil, even decades later, can have harmful human health effects and the fact that heaps of the stuff are often left abandoned in developing countries.

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Image Source: http://www.replate.org

We ask design guru Nate Burgos, named Fast Company’s debut “Fast 50 Champions of Innovation“, to reflect on how the Internet changed how designers ‘make connections’ and why government and ‘big business’ should care about environmental sustainability and design activism.

Our take: major organizations should take a cue from the incredibly creative and nimble ways designers (who often, historically speaking, have a pulse on how online mediums work faster than business) are using the Internet and multi-media platforms to attract highly engaged users - not to mention high web traffic rates.

Here are nine websites to watch and more on what the ever quotable Burgos said on design activism, the Internet and sustainability…

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Image source: www.futureproofnola.com.

Design Goes Green - The first of a series of articles by Green Printer on the cross-section between the environment, business and the creative communications industry.

At some point, one comes to the inevitable conclusion that in order to “green” your marketing material, one needs to take a little extra time to plan ahead and live a “slow food” version of marketing. Yes, I hear the snickers and yes, even marketing speed demons can learn a thing or two from the slow movement.

So, for all you energizer bunnies out there, here are a few tips from Montreal based Vivace Design‘ s Karine Himbeault that, incidentally, we found take 60 seconds or less to actually carry out.

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Image source: www.inhabitat.com

Design Goes Green - The first of a series of articles by Green Printer on the cross-section between the environment, business and the creative communications industry.

Today, I caught the “story of stuff“: a 20-minute, fast-paced look at the dark underbelly of our consumption patterns. The clip exposes the links between a host of environmental and social issues while showing you the real cost of that $5 radio (metals from South Africa, 14 years olds from the Congo dropping out of school to work in factories…).

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Now the nations largest publisher and distributor of children’s books has joined the movement. Scholastic, announced recently that the company is further strengthening its sustainable paper procurement practices. Their goal:

…to increase its publication paper purchase of FSC-certified paper to 30% and its use of recycled paper to 25%, of which 75% will be post-consumer waste.

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Image Source: World Wildlife Federation - caption “15 km squared of rain forest disappears every minute”

A Design Goes Green Series by www.greenprinteronline.com.

Kevin Thompson of Rising Phoenix Design shares easy tips to green your advertising and marketing material in 2008.

Less is more.
If you’re smart, you can say a lot with very little. Thompson swears by low ink coverage for all Rising Phoenix Design printed pieces to create the sexy white space that you saw the big name ad firms use in their 2007 marketing material (the “Dear Ketel One Drinker. Can you find the subliminal message in this advertisement?” Followed by two-thirds of a page of white space ring a bell?)

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In that same spirit, it also makes sense that a publisher of religious materials has now created the first "green" Bible. Thomas Nelson Inc., a Bible and religion publishing company, will release just such a Bible today.

While the need for a more environmentally-friendly Bible might seem obvious, actually creating one was a challenge. Thomas Nelson had to work extensively with its paper manufacturer, Domtar, to develop a new grade of paper that was both green and lightweight enough for Bible paper. The company did at last find a solution, and the result of its efforts — the first Bible printed on recycled and Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper — will be released today, Tuesday, Oct. 9.

Thomas Nelson is also looking for other ways to reduce its ecological footprint, said Mike Hyatt, the company’s CEO. "In addition to offering eco-friendly products, we are striving to implement ‘green’ practices in our daily activities," Hyatt said.

A growing number of book publishers are taking similar steps. The Green Press Initiative, a non-profit group, has so far engaged with more than 140 publishing companies — including Random House, Scholastic and McGraw-Hill — to institute more environmentally responsible practices in the publishing industry. In addition to Thomas Nelson, other religion publishers joining in that effort include Ave Maria Press, Baker Publishing Group and Intervarsity Press.

In a related initiative, more than 220 players in the U.S. book industry have signed onto the Book Industry Treatise on Responsible Paper. Once in effect, the standards outlined in that treatise are expected to save the equivalent of five million-plus trees and cut greenhouse gas emissions equal to those put out by 45,000 cars.

According to the Green Press Initiative, more than 40 percent of the industrial wood harvested around the world each year goes toward making paper — "a sobering fact given that forests store half of all carbon in the biosphere and deforestation accounts for 25 percent of human-caused (carbon dioxide) emissions."

"Given the Bible’s message of stewardship and the growth of the creation care movement, we hope to see other Bible and religion publishers following Thomas Nelson’s lead through steps to use paper with less impacts on forests, people and the climate," said Tyson Miller, director of the Green Press Initiative.

Image: Mike Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Buy recycled content or renewable materials.

• Bamboo and cork are renewable resources, as is wood when it is sustainably harvested.
• Look for carpets made from recycled materials or natural fibers. Rubber flooring is also made from recycled materials and can be recycled, or down-cycled (made into another product) afterwards.
• There are many types of all-natural linoleum available, and tiles can be manufactured with recycled content.
• Keep in mind that some materials need sealants or glues during the installation process that may not be so green, such as cork or stone. Others, like bamboo and wood, may contain additives such as formaldehyde, or are made of composites with undesireable materials such as vinyl, including some cork products and linoleum.

Look for salvaged materials.

• Flooring materials such as wood, stone and tile can often be found at building supply salvage centers. They may need some refurbishing and prep, but will be cheaper and greener than buying them new.

Maintenance and upkeep. This is a common consideration in all flooring decisions, but is even more important when thinking about green choices. For example:

• High trafficked areas will need a more durable material, but will also need to be cleaned more frequently. You’ll have to decide what types of cleaning products will be needed and if those are very eco-friendly.
• Wall-to-wall carpeting is a magnet for dust, dustmites and mold, decreasing the indoor air quality. An alternative could be using carpet tiles or area rugs.

The Green Home Guide lists several tips in helping you consider sustainable flooring for your home, pros and cons of different products, and a buyers guide to green flooring materials.

Additional Information and Resources:

Green Home Guide - 8 Tips for Selecting Healthy and Environmentally Sound Flooring

Green Home Guide - Navigating the Flooring Thicket: Find the Greenest Way to Meet Your Needs

Green Home Guide - Buyer’s Guide to Green Flooring Materials

Care2 - Salvaged Wood Flooring

Care2 - Rethinking Carpet

Green Living Ideas - Flooring

More from GO:

Guest Post: Building Supply Salvage Centers—Where a Bargain Lessens Your Carbon Footprint

Eco-Effective Decisions: Who Wants to Un-Screw the Cork?

What Grabs You: Non-Toxic Home Design!

How to Find a Green Builder – Part 1

How to Find a Green Builder — Part 2

Smart HomeOwner: Better Home, Better Planet

Modern Green Living - at your fingertips

You are most likely already aware of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and know that FSC certified lumber is preferred for use in green construction because it is sustainably managed and harvested. It also has a chain of custody reporting system that ensures that everyone in the processing chain is following the correct procedures with their materials sourcing and their handling of the material. However, construction is not the only place where you will find FSC certified products.

The printing industry is another huge user of wood and forest products. And, as with construction uses, FSC is heavily involved in promoting sustainable practices for printing and paper-making uses. In order to use the FSC trademark on a product, the producer must be a member of FSC. Every step of the way, from the management of the forest and the cutting of the trees, through the pulping of the wood and the manufacture of the paper must meet FSC guidelines, and the product produced carries a certificate that has been independently verified by a third-party source. For a printer to use the FSC trademark on a catalog, for example, they need to be certified themselves as FSC chain-of-custody certificate holders.

"It's what drove local faucet-maker Moen Inc. to ask St. Ives (a printing company) to print catalogs on FSC-certified paper. As a supplier to the construction industry, which is becoming increasingly green, it's important that Moen demonstrate it's doing its part." Another landmark coming this summer, Scholastic Inc. is also going to be using FSC paper for at least 65% of its initial printing of the seventh book in the Harry Potter series.

As more and more people are learning is the case with green building, printing with FSC paper is not necessarily more expensive. Many kinds of FSC certified paper also contain some recycled content, but because paper degrades as it is recycled, some virgin wood pulp needs to be used to provide the necessary strength. FSC works to ensure that the stock for that comes from sustainable sources.

According to the FSC website, "Over the past 12 years, over 84 million hectares in more than 82 countries have been certified according to FSC standards while several thousand products are produced using FSC certified wood and carrying the FSC trademark. FSC operates through its network of National Initiatives in 40 countries."

via: Ann Arbor News and Newhouse News Service

Links:
Forest Stewardship Council

FSC Paper

The Rainforest Alliance is working with children's publisher, Scholastic, to print the book using paper containing 30% post-consumer recycled content, and to make sure at least 65% of the 16,700 tons of paper needed for the initial printing of 12 million copies is FSC certified. There will also be a limited run of 100,000 copies on paper that contains 100% post-consumer content.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) sets the standard for sustainable forest management. Criteria for FSC certification includes biodiversity conservation, responsible harvesting of timber, worker and land-use rights and observance of international laws and treaties.

Each Harry Potter book has increased in length over the years. The sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, came in at just over 600 pages, and in the first 24 hours sold 6.9 million copies. The seventh installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be 784 pages and is anticipated to put up similar (if not greater) numbers in sales.

For a publisher to step up and purchase FSC certified paper and recycled content paper for a book of this magnitude is a big deal and will hopefully prompt other publishers to follow suit.

Via CSRwire.com and MSNBC