EDMONDS, WA In early 2015, Landau Associates' Sustainability Committee proposed that the company consider switching to entirely 100 percent post-consumer waste (PCW) recycled office papers. Recycled papers are widely considered to have a less negative impact on the environment than papers made from virgin fibers because the production process requires fewer trees and less water, energy, and toxic chemicals. The use of recycled papers also helps to keep paper out of landfills, reducing the creation of methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

In the past, Landau Associates has purchased an assortment of papers with 30 percent PCW, 100 percent PCW, and some with no recycled content (virgin paper) from a variety of suppliers. Landau evaluated the papers it had been purchasing and found that it could switch to 100 percent PCW without an increase in our total paper costs or decrease in print quality. We negotiated a sizable discount on office papers by consolidating our purchases with one supplier, a regional wholesaler/retailer with warehouse facilities located in or near the cities where Landau Associates offices are located.

Some of the new papers Landau will purchase cost a little more than what it had been paying, but some of the papers cost much, much less - a win-win solution for the environment and the company's bottom line.

What's Next?

Landau will evaluate environmentally friendly alternatives to potentially replace protective plastic covers and comb binding on technical reports. The company has identified an alternative material for report covers that is made from recycled milk jugs, and it will also explore biodegradable alternatives such as corn or potato starch-derived materials. Landau will continue to evaluate opportunities to increase its use of FSC-certified papers.

In the course of conducting their research on recycled papers, they looked to the examples set by three Landau Associates paper industry clients who are committed to sustainable practices: Port Townsend Paper, Nippon Paper Industries USA, and the Boise Wallula mill. Port Townsend Paper recycles one-third of ALL the cardboard in Washington State each year. Nippon Paper Industries USA's Port Angeles Mill is an integrated pulp and paper mill whose products include recycled content; they also operate a co-gen facility that is capable of producing more than 150,000 megawatts of green electricity annually. Packaging Corporation of America's Boise Wallula mill is SFI-certified. Landau's clients' accomplishments help to underscore its belief that it is on the right track, striving to reduce waste and achieve greater efficienciesa goal shared by Landau Associates, its employees, clients, and the communities in which they live and work.