Choosing Recycled Paper

Paper is a resource we use every day. In 2002-2003 Australians used 1.35 million tonnes of printing and writing paper. That's over 17.5 million trees. The good news is, there are many ways we can reduce the environmental impacts the consumption of this resource creates, by being mindful of how much we use, what we do with it when we have finished, and what kind of paper we choose to buy.

Do you want to know what office paper with recycled content is available and how to choose the right one for you?

The Commissioner has investigated recycled office papers commonly available on the market as part of a review of the Victorian Government’s procurement of goods and services. The characteristics of office paper investigated included recycled composition, production methods and packaging.

The guide below, Choosing Recycled Office Paper gives you information and guidance on how to choose the right recycled office paper for your printing and copying needs. It also answers some common myths about using recycled paper, and gives a description of some technical terms you may need to understand to make an informed choice.

Choosing recycled office paper

If you are interested in finding our more about the characteristics, manufacturing processes, availability and use of a range of office paper, download the Recycled paper characteristics document below.

Recycled paper- characteristics, manufacturing, availability and recommended uses

To view these documents you will need a copy of the Adobe PDF reader, available for free download from the Adobe web site.

We hope you find this information useful, and it helps you reduce your demand on earth's resources.


Futher Information
For information on paper and other types of waste recycling, see EcoRecycle's Information Sheets on their Eco Classroom website.

For information on the benefits of recycling, see the Visy Recycling website.