What is an environmentally friendly office paper?

 

	One that is made from 100% recycled post consumer waste paper. Recycled paper manufacturing uses up to 90% less water and about 50% less energy than paper sourced from virgin fibre.
	Well-managed plantation derived fibre including eucalyptus and pine, as well as alternative fibre crops such as hemp, kenaf and bagasse.
	Paper made without chlorine bleaching.

What makes Australian made office paper environmentally unfriendly?

Sadly no Australian manufactured office paper meets these criteria, the only papers that do so are imported from Europe. The European manufacturers had to meet the demands of their consumers in producing these papers, the Australian manufacturers will also do so if you show them that present practices are unacceptable.

Amcor (Australian Paper) is Australia's only paper manufacturer and controls 80% of Australian paper distribution.

	Amcor paper is made using woodchips from high conservation value native forests, for example: The Central Highlands region in Victoria, home to the endangered Leadbeater's Possum, Spotted Tree Frog, Sooty Owl, Tiger Quoll, Powerful Owl and rare flora species such as the Tall Astelia Lily. The Strzelecki Ranges in southern Victoria, where Amcor's plans to clear 200 hectares of bushland for plantations threatening remnant habitat including an endemic koala population.
	Amcor uses chlorine to bleach its paper products.
	Amcor has access to plantation timber but continues to use timber from native forests, threatening the survival of cool climate rainforest.
	The Victorian Government gives Amcor access to between 350,000 and 500,000 cubic metres of pulpwood a year.

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