Discussion of paper issues

We (Domtar) have experimented with several alternative fibers; bagasse & hemp to name a few. We even had a line of paper made from it called Weeds - (not kidding). It's very expensive, and geared towards the premium Text and Cover market - not main stream laser and offset printing.

Bamboo is not optimal for printing and writing papers for many reasons - mostly because the chipping and processing for paper use is difficult becasue of by-products it produces (silica).

Trees are very efficiently used when it comes to paper manufacturing - especially when the forests are managed well. Go to www.fsc.org for more info.

Hope that helps,

Lewis

Last April, our office decided that going forward we would print only on paper that is either tree-free or hi-PC recycled. Our clients are actually happy to know that we've taken this stand. It's easy because there are so many more responsible paper choices than ever before.

Aloha, Fran

Recently I was told by a one of my printers that Crane & Co. does not really make paper anymore, they outsource to various mills to cake their paper.

So, my question is, how sustainable is their product? The notion of using 100% cotton rag to manufacture paper is great, however, if the rag is shipped in to their New England plant and converted to pulp then shipped all over the country to various mills, then shipped out to distribution, printers and retail stores around the U.S., how green is this?