The demand for recycled paper products continues to grow, but not all recycled paper is the same. For example, when you spec paper with 40% recycled content, it might be 30% post-consumer waste and 10% pre-consumer waste. What's the difference? Does it even matter?

Most people are familiar with recycled paper made from post-consumer waste. Examples include direct mail, newspapers, and paper packaging that we throw into the recycling bin. But what is pre-consumer waste? Pre-consumer waste is derived from paper scraps and trimmings discarded during manufacturing.

Defining Pre-Consumer Waste

Say you are producing a brochure. During production, adjustments may need to be made to the press for color accuracy and alignment. This leads to test prints and setup waste. After printing, the job goes through finishing processes such as cutting, folding, and binding. Trimmings and offcuts, such as excess paper edges or misaligned folds, are also recycled.

All of this is pre-consumer waste, which occurs as part of the production process before the final printed brochure reaches the consumer. Pre-consumer paper waste is also produced in book and magazine publishing, packaging, and wide format.

One of the benefits of including pre-consumer waste as part of the recycled paper stream is that it does not get contaminated by other consumer waste (such as food or drink that gets spilled on paper products at someone's home). This makes it clean and highly efficient to recycle. However, not all manufacturers have efficient systems for pre-consumer waste, so the recycling rates tend to be lower.

Is One Better Than Another?

When spec'ing recycled paper, is one better than another? It's a matter of preference. Post-consumer waste is what most people see. This creates the widespread perception that post-consumer waste is "better" for a sustainability strategy.

The reality is, however, that both types of waste end up in the landfill if not recycled. So, both are equally valuable from a sustainability perspective. Furthermore, you have a more comprehensive array of recycled paper options by not focusing on post-consumer waste alone.

So, don't sweat it when considering the ratio of pre-consumer to post-consumer waste in your recycled paper! If you are spec'ing recycled paper, any mix of the two is a big "thumbs up" for the planet.