Environmentally Preferable Products - Paper
Use of high post-consumer recycled content copy paper, made without the use of chlorine is a goal for all Department of the Interior facilities. Government-wide, agencies are mandated to purchase paper that contains a minimum of 30% post-consumer fiber.
According to the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive, FY 2003, a whopping 98.4 percent of the Executive Branch's purchasesof copier paper from the Government Printing Office contained 30 percent postconsumer fiber or more! This includes 3-hole punched paper and 8 1/2 x 14, with a few exceptions. The volume of paper purchased was a
huge 1.4 billion sheets of paper. A year earlier, the agencies purchased 1.7 sheets of paper, 94 percent of which contained 30 percent or higher levels of postconsumer fiber.
EPA's Comprehesive Procurement Guideline for Printing and Writing Papers
(includes database of vendors for various types of recycled-content paper)
Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget Lynn Scarlett addressed this goal in this memorandum of January 29, 2003.
Skilcraft brand xerographic paper certified for high speed copy performance contains 90% recycled fiber with a minimum of 50% PCW. 90% Processed Chlorine Free with 0%-10% ECF virgin fiber for consistent performance made by the Louisiana Association for the Blind
Skilcraft brand lined pads made from 90% pcw paper, made without chlorine made by Blind Industries and Services of Maryland
Letter from Federal Environmental Executive John Howard on the use of paper containing a minimum of 30% post-consumer content in all contracted printing activities. 
NPS tips on environmentally preferable printing
(Courtesy of Sonya Capek, NPS CCSO)
Chlorine Free Products Association provides third party certification for the post-consumer recycled content and chlorine-free aspects of paper products and maintains a list of certified products on their website
DOI's National Business Center EPP Paper Pilot Test Report - 12/01/01
"Paper Calculator" calculates the U.S. average energy and wood consumption and environmental releases summed across the full "life cycle" of each of five major grades of paper and paperboard. For a given grade, it allows the user to compare the environmental impacts of papers made with different levels of post-consumer recycled content, ranging from 0% (i.e., virgin paper) to 100%. Useful for accounting for EPP purchasing benefits in EMS.
State EPP Paper Factsheets:
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