Every office needs a 'blue angel'  

• Recycled office paper is a viable 'green' alternative, saving businesses up to 13 % on paper costs
• Using recycled paper cuts CO2 emissions by 15 %, based on average yearly consumption

OEKO Institute in Germany has assessed the benefits of substituting standard printing paper with recycled paper for office use. The results have shown clear environmental and monetary benefits. 

In businesses, the common A4 copying and printing paper is around 80 g/m2, and each packet contains 500 sheets. An average-sized office of around 50 employees uses an estimated 100 000 sheets a year. Yet high-quality 'virgin' paper, made directly from wood-based source material, is not usually needed for day-to-day office needs. 

Key benefits

Recycled waste paper with the 'Blauer Engel' label is a viable 'green' alternative, saving businesses up to 13 % on paper costs; 100 000 sheets of regular paper costs € 1 092 compared to € 950 for recycled paper.

The benefits to the environment of using recycled paper can be calculated, too. Consuming 100 000 regular sheets corresponds to some 520 kg of CO2 equivalent, compared to 440 kg for reycled paper, cutting carbon emissions by 15 %. By using only recycled paper, 15 820 litres less water that goes into regular paper production is needed yearly; that is a 61 % saving!