Over at
RISI, Phil Riebel takes a detailed look at, and evaluates the pros and cons of, the various tools that corporate print buyers use to evaluate the sustainability of the paper they procure and the records of their paper suppliers. These include:
- Environmental Paper Assessment Tool (EPAT)
- Paper Profile
- WWF - Check your Paper
- PREPS - Publishers Database for Responsible Environmental Paper Sourcing
- The Paper Calculator
None dominates the market, and each serves specific needs. Is there any chance of moving toward an industry standard? Which one is the most objective? Says Mr. Riebel:
Out of the five systems reviewed, the most objective one is the Paper Profile which is based on measurable data and life-cycle inventory calculations. This approach avoids the controversy related to weighting environmental indicators.
It’s worth having a look at the whole article.
About Richard Romano
Richard Romano is Managing Editor of WhatTheyThink. He curates the Wide Format section on WhatTheyThink.com. He has been writing about the graphic communications industry for more than 25 years. He is the author or coauthor of more than half a dozen books on printing technology and business. His most recent book is “Beyond Paper: An Interactive Guide to Wide-Format and Specialty Printing.
