Envelopes: An Environmentally Friendly Choice

By Guest Contributor, Hugh F. Mahler

In the 21st century, when computers offer instant communication and constant contact, people and businesses continue to recognize the value and power of paper-based communications. We in the envelope industry know this to be true for a number of reasons, most prominently because the U.S. Postal Service reports that mail volume has grown nearly five percent since 2002 and is now at record levels.

As mail volume has increased, so have concerns about the impact of paper-based communications on the environment. Since our industry’s inception, we have been very environmentally conscious because we depend on a vital natural resource – trees. Waste management in the form of reuse and recovery and sustainable forestry through reforestation have always been top priorities for us, as has environmental management at every step along the envelope production chain.

A Strong Commitment from Start to Finish

The envelope production process begins with paper companies and pulp mills. For decades, the envelope industry’s suppliers have engaged in sustainable forestry practices. They now plant, on average, two trees for every one they harvest. According to the Abundant Forests Alliance, U.S. Forest Service data shows that the nation’s forest inventory has grown by about one-third since 1952. Most paper companies have signed up for independent certification programs that monitor, oversee and assess their sustainable forestry practices (the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, operated by the Sustainable Forestry Council, is the most well known).

The American Forest & Paper Association reports that its members have reduced air and water emissions significantly since 1980. Paper mills also are reducing their dependence on fossil fuels. Since 1972, they have reduced energy consumption per ton of product by 24 percent. And, more than 60 percent of the energy used by the pulp and paper industry comes from renewable sources.

When it comes to reuse and recovery of the paper the industry produces, AF&PA reports that the United States recovered a little over 50 percent of the paper consumed in the country in 2006 (up from just over 33 percent in 1990). AF&PA has set a goal of 55 percent recovery by 2012, which the envelope industry enthusiastically supports.

Other suppliers have made smart environmental practices a priority as well. For example, companies that manufacture envelope window films are reprocessing or reusing scraps created during the manufacturing process or selling the scrap to plastic processors. Film producers have developed a greater use of corn-based materials that are designed to replace petroleum-based raw materials. Other technological advances allow film manufacturers to produce smaller and thinner films. In fact, the thinnest available film has decreased in thickness by 19 percent over the past 15 years.

The adhesives industry is increasingly turning to natural, renewable sources of raw materials such as corn starch. More than half (by weight) of envelope adhesives used in North America are derived from these sources and more than 95 percent are water-based, solvent-free and non-hazardous.

The printing industry has also done its part. Many printers send their waste ink to fuel-blending companies, which use these and other wastes to create industrial fuels. Ink separators and waste reduction programs also can be used to minimize the amount of discarded ink. Many inks today are water- or soy-based.

EMAF Supports Numerous Envelope Industry Initiatives

In addition to working with suppliers to minimize their environmental footprints, the envelope industry is engaged in a number of new environmental initiatives.

To help the paper industry reach its recovery goal of 55 percent by 2012, the Envelope Manufacturers Association (EMA), in conjunction with the Direct Marketing Association and the Magazine Publishers of America, recently launched a “Please Recycle” campaign to encourage consumers to recycle envelopes, cartons and packaging. EMA members began using a “Please Recycle” logo this summer to raise awareness among consumers and businesses that their products are recyclable. (For more information, see the EMA Web site at www.envelope.org.)

In July, the EMA Foundation established an Environmental Initiative Fund to help educate consumers and mailers about environmental initiatives within the envelope industry and to promote the industry’s efforts to maintain a clean environment. We recently received our first contribution of $50,000 from Papercone Corp. of Louisville, Ky.

Finally, EMA recently developed and has made available an Environmental Awareness Toolkit to its members. The kit provides a wealth of information on how all envelope industry stakeholders can operate in an environmentally responsible manner. The toolkit can be purchased directly from EMA on its Web site at www.envelope.org.

These commitments, along with recycling assistance from consumers, will help the industry further advance its environmental efforts. Environmental consciousness is not new to the envelope industry and its supplier; it has been present since the beginning. Print buyers can rest easy that when they tap into the power of envelopes, they are making use of an environmentally friendly technology.