OTHER ECOLABELLING CRITERIA FOR COPYING AND PRINTING PAPER The investigation has revealed ecolabelling criteria for copying or printing paper in at least fourteen ecolabelling schemes all over the world. Five of these are within EU and two are found in candidate countries. In five of the schemes, criteria are developed for newsprint as well as for printing paper. The product group definition differs as well as the ambition. In seven of the schemes, the main parameter concerns demands on using a certain amount of recycled fibres. Different matrix systems are developed in three of the schemes. Ecolabelling criteria survey for copying, writing and printing paper This survey will be supplemented later Austria Fine paper Product group definition: Printing and writing paper General: Maximum 0.1 w-% components classified T+, T, N and Xn maximum 1.0 w-%. chlorine compounds, no use of EDTA, no optical whitening agents, no azo compounds for dying, no dyes with Hg, Pb, Cd or Cr VI, the finishing <10%; specific demands for paper of higher quality for specific use. Emissions: Demands on toxicity, suspended substances, TOC, COD, BOD, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and AOX. The levels depend on kind of product. Fibres: 100% recycled fibres of which >60% must be ordinary or medium grades. Paper of higher quality for specific use may use virgin fibres, and demands are developed for the forestry. Fit for use: Standardised tests, depending on which product, must be done Newsprint for journals Product group definition: Paper for newspapers, magazines and journals General: Maximum 0.1 w-% components classified T+, T,, N and Xn maximum 1.0 w-%. chlorine compounds, no use of EDTA, no optical whitening agents, no azo compounds for dying, no dyes with Hg, Pb, Cd or Cr VI, the finishing <10%; specific demands for paper of higher quality for specific use. Emissions: Demands on toxicity, suspended substances, TOC, COD, BOD, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and AOX. The level depends on kind of product. Fibres: Paper without finish, >60% recycled fibres and paper with finish >20-10% recycled fibres, depending on the weight. For the virgin fibres demands are developed for the forestry. The recycled fibres should be of 100% ordinary Other ecolabelling criteria for copying and printing paper.doc Page 1 of 7
and medium grade for finished paper and >70% of ordinary grade for paper without finish. Fit for use: Standardised tests, depending on which product, must be used. Canada Printing and writing paper Product group definition: Uncoated wood-free printing and writing paper, and clay coated free sheet General requirements: Meet all relevant standards, regulations and laws Product specific requirements: A matrix system with must not exceed 28 loading points. The matrix includes Fibre use, COD, Sub-lethal toxicity, Energy use, CO 2 -emission, SO 2 -emmission and Solid waste. The parameters are calculated with factors depending of origin of fibres, kind of bleaching etc, and are weighed towards each other in the final table, Effluent: The effluent from the pulp or paper mill must not contain any measurable 2,3,7,8-TCDD or 2,3,7,8-TCDF Virgin fibres: The fibres must come from forests managed under a code of sustainable forest practices Uncoated Mechanical Paper Product group definition: Light-weight uncoated mechanical printing paper and uncoated mechanical printing paper General requirements: Meet all relevant standards, regulations and laws Product specific requirements: A matrix system with must not exceed 28 loading points. The matrix includes Fibre use, COD, Sub-lethal toxicity, Energy use, CO 2 -emission, SO 2 -emmission and Solid waste. The parameters are calculated with factors depending of origin of fibres, kind of bleaching etc, and are weighed towards each other in the final table, Effluent: The effluent from the pulp or paper mill must not contain any measurable 2,3,7,8-TCDD or 2,3,7,8-TCDF Virgin fibres: The fibres must come from forests managed under a code of sustainable forest practices Czech Republic Graphic paper made from recycled paper Fibres: >70% waste paper, and of this waste paper, at least 20% should be of the classes P8 or P9, the rest of the waste paper can consist of any grade of waste paper. Bleaching: The product must not be whitened with chlorine or any of its compounds Dangerous substances: The production process must not include any use of toxic additives mentioned in Czech Socialist Republic No. 192/1988 S.B. or 182/1990 S.B. Packaging: The product as well as the packaging material must be recyclable. Other ecolabelling criteria for copying and printing paper.doc Page 2 of 7
EU-flower Copying paper Raw material, fibres: The fibres may be recycled, wood fibres from forests with sustainable management or from other material Emission requirements: Water emissions <30kg COD and <0.30 kg AOX and air emissions <1.5 kg sulphur, 3.0 kg NO x and 1500 kg CO 2 /tonne paper Energy use: <26 GJ heat energy and <7 GJ electricity/tonne paper Chemical substances: No chlorine gas for bleaching and no substances classified as dangerous for the environment and have the risk phrases R50 and R53 Waste management: A system for handling of waste must be documented Germany Recycled paper Product group definition: Recycled paper <170g/m 2, products made from recycled paper, covering paper and copying paper Fibres: 100% recycled fibres. For recycled paper, the recycled fibres must consist of >65% low-grade, medium-grade or craft-containing waste papers Chemical compounds: The amounts of formaldehyde must <1.0mg/dm 2, no glyoxyl-containing compounds should be added, no azo compounds, which split into specific amines, no dyes with Hg, Pb, Cd or Cr VI Additional chemical demand: No dangerous chemicals must be used halogen containing compounds, no use of EDTA, no optical whitening agents Fit for use: Standardised tests, depending on which product, must be done Newsprint paper preliminary made of waste paper and bleached free from chlorine Product group definition: Newsprint paper and printed products made of this paper Recycled paper: >80% of the finalised product must be recycled paper Chemical compounds: The amounts of formaldehyde must <1.0mg/dm 2, no glyoxyl-containing compounds should be added, no azo compounds, which split into specific amines, no dyes with Hg, Pb, Cd or Cr VI Additional chemical demand: No dangerous chemicals must be used halogen containing compounds, no use of EDTA, no optical whitening agents Japan Printing paper Product group definition: Printing paper, excludes drawing papers included in writing and art papers Recycled paper: >70% waste paper in the pulp mixture White pigmentation: <30g/m 2 for both sides and <17g/m 2 for one Brightness: <70% for uncoated paper Production: No excessive fluorescent whitening agents, conform to regulations and agreements Other ecolabelling criteria for copying and printing paper.doc Page 3 of 7
Packaging: the packaging shall facilitate recycling Netherlands Office paper Product group definition: Writing paper, printing paper, paper for offset printing and for envelopes and files, forms. Newsprint, thermal fax paper or coated papers are not covered by the definition. Raw material: Recycled fibres or virgin fibres that comply with requirements for forestry Forestry: The virgin fibre should come from forests that comply with the FSCcriteria or fulfil specific requirements given in the criteria document Production of pulp and paper: Either fulfil demands for emissions, chemicals and energy consumption or fulfil the environment criteria for the Nordic Swan Process emissions: Water emissions, COD <20kg/tonne paper, Air emissions, S total <1 kg/tonne paper, NO X <2 kg/tonne paper Chemical compounds: Printing ink for printed paper products should contain <15% organic solvent; Detectable formaldehyde in the final product must be less than 1 mg/dm 2 ; Glue used for envelopes and self adhesive memo pads must have organic solvent <5 %, and for memo pads the glue must be water solvent Fitness for use: Writing paper must have opacity >80%; Printing and copying paper must comply with DIN 19309 standard and NEN 12281 standard Packaging requirements: Box material made of >80% post-consumer material; paper wrapper must not contain bleached pulp; coating wrapper must not contain PVC; no private eco-logos are allowed on the packaging New Zealand Fine papers Product group definition: Printing papers, business papers, envelope papers, printers blanks etc Raw material: The fibres must not come from naturally occurring indigenous forests Emissions: A matrix system, which combines the emissions from both pulp and paper production and for the parameters AOX, COD and sulphur. The maximum value is 0.5, 50.0 and 2.5 kg/t paper respectively. Solvents: Solvents used must be free from halogenated hydrocarbons Surfactants: Surfactants used for de-inking, must be readily biodegradable Fitness for use: The product shall be fit for its use Recycled papers Product group definition: All recycled papers except moulded and macerated products Raw material: The fibrous furnish must be sourced entirely from recycled paper of which at least 50% must be post-consumer fibre Bleaching: Substances containing chlorine must not be used Other ecolabelling criteria for copying and printing paper.doc Page 4 of 7
Surfactants: Surfactants used in the manufacturing process must be readily biodegradable Emissions: The combined emissions of COD from Pulp and paper production must not exceed 20 kg/tonne of recycled paper produced Solvents: Solvents used must be free from halogenated hydrocarbons Coating and treatment: The recycled paper must be possible to recycle Fitness for use: The product shall be fit for its use Newsprint and derived products Product group definition: Newsprint, newspaper, miscellaneous published material made from newsprint Raw material: The fibres must not come from naturally occurring indigenous forests Newsprint content: Newspapers and periodicals must contain >70% newsprint complying with this specification and miscellaneous material 100%. Emissions: A matrix system, which combines the emissions from both pulp and paper production and for the parameters AOX, COD and sulphur. The maximum value is 0.5, 50.0 and 2.5 kg/t paper respectively. Surfactants: Surfactants used for de-inking, must be readily biodegradable Solvents: Solvents used must be free from halogenated hydrocarbons Coating and treatment: The recycled paper must be possible to recycle Fitness for use: The product shall be fit for its use Hungary Paper products made of waste paper Fibres: The writing/printing paper shall contain >40% recycled fibres and other products >70% recycled fibres. Virgin fibres shall originate from regions where sustainable management is applied. Emissions to water and air: (COD, AOX, CO 2, SO 2, and NO X ) must not exceed limits given by the authorities, and water consumption Waste minimisation: The producer shall have a documented system for handling of waste Nordic Swan Printing paper Product group definition: Woodbased and woodfree printing and graphic board, based on cellulose and/or mechanical pulp for writing, printing and copying Raw material, Fibres: If only virgin fibres are used, at least 15% must be certified and from sustainable forestry management. If more than 50% of the fibres are recycled, post-consumer or pre-consumer fibres, the virgin fibres used, need not be from certified forests Chemicals: Information about chemicals used in the production and amount EDTA used as a complexing agent; Alkylphenol etholylates or its derivatives must not be actively added; The total quantity of residual monomers must <100 ppm except acrylic amide that has a limit <750 ppm; Surfactants used Other ecolabelling criteria for copying and printing paper.doc Page 5 of 7
for de-inking and components with foam inhibiting function must be readily biodegradable; Chlorine gas is not allowed for bleaching; Biocides combating slime-forming organisms in the circulating water system must not be potentially bio-accumulative Emission requirements: A matrix system using different coefficients depending on kind of pulp, which takes into account the emissions of COD, phosphorous, sulphur, NO x and AOX. The proportions are weighed according to the amount in the pulp mixture Energy: A factor between the energy used and the reference for each phase in the production chain, is calculated and added. Total energy as well as electricity used is calculated. Different reference values are used depending on kind of pulp. There are maximum limits given CO 2 limits: Maximum limits are given in case fossil fuels are used. The limit depends on kind of pulp Waste: The waste must be sorted at the production site and the different fractions must be appropriated recycled Fitness for use: The product must fulfil requirements for fitness for use Singapore Printing paper and Office Automation Paper Raw material: The paper must contain more than 50% recycled paper USA Printing and Writing paper Recycled content requirements: For high-speed copy paper, offset paper, forms bond, computer printout paper, file folders and white woven envelopes >20% post-consumer material and for other uncoated paper >50% recovered material including 20% post-consumer material. Production Process Requirement: For de-inking the recovered material, the solvent must not contain chlorine or any listed by EPA; For Bleaching, neither chlorine nor any of its derivatives must be used. Packaging: The packaging must not contain inks, dyes, stabilisers or additives to which Pb, Cd, Hg or Cr VI has been introduced and the sum of the concentration level of these heavy metals <100 ppm. Coated Printing Paper Coating Composition: Neither free formaldehyde nor the heavy metals Pb, Cd, Hg or Cr VI should be part of the coating. Recycled Content Requirements: Minimum 10% post-consumer material Production Process Requirements: For de-inking the recovered material, the solvent must not contain chlorine; For Bleaching, neither chlorine nor any of its derivatives must be used. Newsprint Recycled material: Newsprint must contain at least 40% recovered material, and minimum 25 % of the fibres must be old newspaper. Newspaper must Other ecolabelling criteria for copying and printing paper.doc Page 6 of 7
contain at least 35% by weight these newsprint. Miscellaneous published material must contain 100% newsprint. Taiwan,R.O.C. Office use Automation Papers from Recycled Paper Raw material: The paper must contain at least 60% recycled paper Information: The label shall indicate the ratio of domestic recycled paper. Imported products should be labelled Imported Recycled Paper Product Thailand Printing paper and writing paper Raw material: Recycled fibres or virgin fibres made from annual crop fibres or from ISO 14001 certified plant and no pulp from natural forests Bleaching process for virgin fibres: No use of chlorine gas and the water emission of AOX must not exceed 0.3 kg/adt Water usage: Must not exceed 20 m 3 /ADT for pulp made from virgin fibre and 30 m 3 /ADT for recycled pulp Water emission: Suspended solid must be <50 mg/l and BOD 5 less than 20 mg/l wastewater Paints: Must not be formulated with Pb, Hg, Cd or Cr VI Fitness for use: Paper for continuous form must be certified according to TISI 1045, Standard for continuous form, Xerographic paper must be certified to the TISI 1054, Standard for Xerographic papers Other ecolabelling criteria for copying and printing paper.doc Page 7 of 7