Hoquiam, WA - Savvy, eco-conscious consumers now have a greener, locally made choice for their office paper: Grays Harbor Paper's Harbor 100 (100% post consumer recycled paper). Recently audited by third-party Carbon Solutions Northwest located in Portland, OR, Harbor 100 was found to be 375 percent less carbon-intensive than a typical ton of virgin content office paper produced in the United States. The same audit also found that an individual using Harbor 100 instead of a typical 100 percent recycled office paper would reduce his/her carbon footprint by nearly 1 metric ton.

Grays Harbor Paper has been a leader for more than a decade in utilizing sustainable practices in its paper manufacturing process, including using Green-e-certified renewable energy, which they produce onsite. As a result, the greenhouse gas emissions released during the manufacturing of Harbor 100 are significantly lower than that of other 100 percent recycled office paper.

"Paper consumers will be hard pressed to find a cleaner, greener source of paper than Grays Harbor Paper's Harbor 100," said Alex Shay, owner of third-party auditor Carbon Solutions Northwest.

Carbon Solutions Northwest conducted an intensive examination of all energy-related inputs required to manufacture 1 ton of Harbor 100 recycled paper. Their findings were then compared against the Environmental Defense Fund's (www.papercalculator.org) green house gas calculators for a typical paper manufacturing plant in North America.

On average, an office of 20 people will use 1 ton (40 Cases) of paper a year. According to the U.S. Census, there are more than 500,000 businesses across the country with 20 or more employees. Choosing the right recycled office paper could make a significant impact in the reduction of CO2 gasses worldwide. As offices transition to Harbor 100, the environmental savings potential is equivalent to taking 70,000 cars off the road for one year.

"We're proud of Carbon Solutions Northwest's findings and committed to creating high-quality office paper in harmony with the natural environment," said John Begley recently appointed President of Grays Harbor Paper. "Now paper users can feel a little less guilty about their paper consumption."

Local companies and organizations that are proud to use Harbor 100 paper in their offices include: The Seattle Mariners, the City of Seattle, Kettle Foods and the State of Washington. Grays Harbor Paper employs 256 and is a proud small business.