- February 18, 2009 - A new website now offers an empowering message and helpful resources for paper purchasers who want to make more earth-friendly consumer choices. Environmental Paper Network (EPN), a coalition of over 100 conservation groups, has unveiled WhatsInYourPaper.com, a comprehensive new online resource to guide and assist paper purchasers and companies to successfully switch to using environmentally superior paper. 

In creating the website, EPN cites the urgency of the massive global environmental footprint of the consumption and production of paper and the opportunity presented by the surge in availability of environmentally superior products. 

"Paper use is a ubiquitous environmental choice that every person, every office and every corporation makes every day," said Joshua Martin, Coordinator of the Environmental Paper Network. "We created this website as a one-stop shop for making responsible paper choices simpler."

Visitors to the website will find a comprehensive Paper Purchaser's Toolkit to help purchasers make educated decisions about efficiently using and buying paper with a lighter environmental footprint. The toolkit presents a visual guide called "Paper Steps", explaining the hierarchy of the environmentally "inferior" papers manufactured from virgin fibers and cause the highest greenhouse gas emissions, to environmentally "superior" papers of made mostly post-consumer recycled material and/or certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and requiring fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition to the Paper Steps, at the site paper buyers can access comprehensive information about how to save money, reduce their carbon footprint, and protect endangered forests.

• Paper buyers can exercise numerous and easy methods to increase their own paper use efficiency


• Visitors can find relevant videos, reports and links to other active resources available from members of the coalition


• The site also hosts EPN's blog, the Paper Planet, which reports on the growth of the marketplace for environmentally responsible paper and the leadership actions of companies that adopt paper purchasing policies.

According to Martin, "This coalition represents millions of members making responsible paper choices in order to stop climate change and today they are asking all companies: 'What's in your paper?'"

To learn more about the Environmental Paper Network visit:
http://environmentalpaper.org/

The Steering Committee of the EPN includes: As You Sow, Conservatree, Green America, Dogwood Alliance, ForestEthics, Green Press Initiative, Markets Initiative, National Resource Council of Maine, National Wildlife Federation, and Rainforest Action Network.

Environmental Paper Network

Environmental Paper Network

The Environmental Paper Network (EPN) accelerates environmental transformation in the pulp and paper industry in order to protect forests, climate, air, water and communities.

The EPN facilitates a powerful movement of independent organizations, strategically leveraging their collective expertise and resources, to initiate change and environmental improvement in the pulp and paper industry.

The EPN is led by a Steering Committee that includes: Canopy, Climate for Ideas, Conservatree, Dogwood Alliance, ForestEthics, Green America, Green Press initiative, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Council of Maine, and Rainforest Action Network.

Other organizations which are active participants and/or serve on EPN Working Groups include NRDC, WWF-US, Greenpeace (US and Canada), Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Product Policy Institute, Environmental Defense Fund, Responsible Purchasing Network, Catalog Choice, and more.

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