PR wars

It’s a tricky situation, then, for those selling recycled papers. They are not only fighting to justify a higher price, but the reputation of supply and quality issues as well, whether they be true or not. What makes their job even harder, according to Sam Neal, is that FSC and PEFC are outgunning recycled in the PR wars.

“The FSC people have done a very, very good marketing job because it has managed to persuade people of its green credentials above recycled, despite the fact that, with FSC, you can have pulp shipped half way across the world, which in terms of carbon footprint is off the scale,” he says.

It’s true that much of the recycled paper market share has gravitated towards the FSC and PEFC certified papers. The government opened its doors to both when it saw the folly in demanding only set recycled content for its print, and likewise clients en masse have seen FSC and PEFC as a viable cheaper option to recycled.

“What is good about PEFC and FSC is that they are completely transparent about what they achieve and what they do and in that sense those organisations have done their job in getting those messages across,” says Padbury.

The inference, there, is that those promoting recycled papers have not done their job as effectively in promoting the benefits of their products. There is certainly some confusion as to how FSC compares to recycled in environmental performance, despite the fact that, as Paul Cassidy, Robert Horne customer marketing manager, says, there are compelling facts in recycled’s favour.

“It’s true that FSC provides a chain of custody that traces the wood pulp back to sustainably managed forests,” he explains. “However, it doesn’t make any provision for the afterlife of that substrate. In reality, the production of recycled pulp typically uses up to 70% less energy per tonne of pulp while maximising the recycled fibre content of the paper.”

Cook admits that the recycled paper sector has to get this sort of information, and that in the box above, across to the consumer more effectively. He reveals that Arjowiggins attempted to do just that with a large corporate campaign last year. He warns, however, that any facts presented by the sector have to be whiter than white.

“You have to have the confidence to quote a number and be challenged on it, only then can you get that message into the market,” he says.

But the market may not be that receptive to the environmental message no matter how it is delivered. In the current economic market, it suits clients and printers alike if FSC and recycled are seen as comparable, as it enables the choice of the cheaper FSC over recycled options without compromising CSR obligations.

It’s a very complex area, therefore, and one that doesn’t have a quick win answer. Recycled paper is by no means on its last legs – Owers says that most of the FTSE 100 will still specify recycled grades (admittedly, they can afford to) – but for the vast majority, the continuing economic problems are not going to improve enough in the next few years to put the higher priced recycled grades back on the radar. What happens beyond that, when budgets begin to recover, will give a better reflection of where recycled paper stands. If the criticised supply and quality issues can be overcome, or the myth of them addressed, some give it a good chance of retaking market share. Whether that happens may have less to do with the paper itself, and more to do with how it is presented.

RECYCLED PAPER FACTS
After extensive research, Arjowiggins has released a number of statistics and figures that it believes will stand up to scrutiny and really make the case for recycled paper. Here are some of the key points:

•     Producing one tonne of recycled paper (related to Cocoon 100%) uses 27,000 fewer litres of water than producing non-recycled paper. The water saved is equivalent to one person’s water usage for 180 days
•     Manufacturing one tonne of 100% recycled paper (relating to Cyclus) emits 428kg of CO2 compared to 800kg emissions per tonne of non-recycled paper. The emissions saving is the equivalent of driving from Paris to Moscow
•     Every tonne of 100% recycled paper (Cyclus) purchased saves 5,736kWh of electricity. The energy saving is the equivalent to the annual energy consumption of a three-bedroom house
•     Recycling 8.6 tonnes of paper in the UK and avoiding landfill saves 11 tonnes of carbon emissions per year. The savings on carbon is equivalent to taking 3.5m cars off the road