Our Papers Our Services Paper Journal Paper Bank Paper & the Environment We are committed to decreasing our environmental impact on the world with our continually renewable and natural paper products. There aren’t many industries around that can aspire to becoming genuinely sustainable. The paper industry, however, is one of them; it is inherently sustainable. Jonathon Porritt, Co-Founder, Forum for the Future Why Paper? Paper, by its very nature, is one of the world’s most sustainable and renewable materials. Continually recycled and natural, it can repeatedly be brought back to life and repurposed. Our Papers G . F Smith papers have a low environmental impact in their manufacturing, and many of the papers that we carry have specific environmental accreditations, which are detailed in our physical Collection Book and online. Recycled Papers The majority of our papers are made from virgin pulp, sourced from forests where trees are replaced or allowed to regenerate naturally, but we look out for good recycled papers too. Several G . F Smith ranges include stocks that are wholly, or partly, manufactured from post-consumer (PCW) or post-industrial waste (PIW). A Selection of our PCW and PIW Papers FSC The main concern when it comes to using paper is where the wood is sourced. We are pleased to verify that many of G . F Smith’s ranges, including Colorplan and most of our Fine Collection and Textured papers, are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). This means that they are made with, or contain, pulp that comes from FSC well-managed forests, and follows a certified chain of custody that tracks the timber through every stage in the supply chain from the forest to the final user. In Europe, where almost all primary forests are protected, paper comes from sustainably-managed forests where the cycle of planting, growing and logging is carefully controlled. Chlorine Another key environmental concern when it comes to creating paper is the bleaching of pulp. Nearly all of G . F Smith's papers made from virgin fibre are either classified as Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF), or Totally Chlorine Free (TCF), which means the bleaching process avoids the use of harmful chlorine, or does not use chlorine at all. European forests have been growing by over 1,500 football pitches every day. Windpower The paper industry as a whole is one of the largest users of renewable energy, and G . F Smith’s sources are no exception. For example, our Mohawk papers are made using windpower, whereby all the electricity used in the manufacturing process is offset by clean, renewable wind energy. This means that such products can be classified Carbon Neutral. What's next? What we have achieved so far but more importantly what we are working towards. Discover more Myths & Facts When it comes to the sustainability of paper, it’s important to separate the facts from the myths. Find out more Make paper not plastic At G . F Smith we are committed to doing more to help the environment and reduce waste. It is our aim to refill, not landfill. And that is why we are changing the way we consciously craft the contents of our paper. To show how deeply we care, we have created a new certification scheme. Every time you see this marque it means uncommon materials, like used coffee cups, have been upcycled to make the piece of paper in your hand. The more paper we produce, the more we are proactively looking to use other parts of nature’s renewables too. This means growing our collection under this certification, so that we can keep on preserving the planet through our paper, one fibre at a time. Discover our Paper Conscious Collection Our Worlds ABOUT US OUR STORY OUR SERVICES INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT CONTACT US Help FAQS GLOSSARY OF TERMS STUDENTS GREETINGS DOWNLOADS Newsletter EMAIL Submit Follow us G.F Smith Colorplan T&CS PRIVACY