He used the most recycled paper possible for the inaugural invitations and I am so proud. And I didn’t have to pester him to do so….for I actually wrote many imaginary emails in my mind to our future president about how important it would be to use recycled and tree-free papers during his administration. But I never actually wrote those emails and it looks as tho’ they weren’t necessary.
The paper for the invitations is the same paper (tho’ I use a different texture) that I use for my Little Letter Paper, Bookish Missives, and all the Christmas cards. It is a lovely paper. And 100% post-consumer recycled…meaning it is made entirely from paper we have used and then put in the recycling bins and sent on its way. Such a difference from much paper made these days from virgin timber…even rainforest wood.
My eyes were really opened to this facet of using trees for paper when a man came in my booth at a show a few years ago. He told me he was a printer who printed things like the inserts that you find with a bottle of aspirin. He told me that to save a few pennies per insert, he had begun getting a paper that was made in South America from rain forest wood. He painted an ugly picture of the forest being slashed and the trees floated down the river to a paper plant where the paper was made and then shipped by boat to the US. There is so much wrong with this. Yet, he continued to buy this paper. But I want you to know that there are so many other options.
The first idea is simply to use less paper….hold off on printing things from the computer unless it is really necessary, use all of the paper you have before buying more, etc. And when it is time to buy more paper, look for 100% post-consumer or tree-free papers. I hope that they are available at the stores where most people buy paper….but I must admit that I don’t know as I don’t shop there. You can buy them in reasonably small quantities directly from Neenah.com or go to Greenlinepaper.com. If you need strictly utilitarian paper and few dented corners don’t matter to you, in the spirit of using what one has, I am hoping to offer packets of good paper that I couldn’t use for my offerings, sometime later this winter. And do write if you ever need any guidance, for I am happy to share what I have learned and discovered over the years.
Just do what you are able. I truly believe that every little bit can help.
Enjoy the day tomorrow…in honor of our new president we are eating all “circular” food tomorrow (the closest I could get to the letter “o” without resorting to doughnuts!). Pancakes with blueberries and raspberries for breakfast, pizza later on and a bundt cake for a sweet.
