We received some exciting news from our friends at the Environmental Paper Network (EPN) last week. They have just released a new version of their Paper Calculator to better assist paper buyers with measuring the environmental impact of their paper usage and shifting to paper that supports climate and endangered forest protection.
The Paper Calculator is a very important tool. It helps individuals and businesses make better and smarter decisions that are based on facts and figures rather than just on guestimations and intuitions. EPN's Paper Calculator is the original and most independent paper life-cycle impact estimator available, helping you to compare factors such as wood use, net energy use, GHG emissions, water consumption and so on.
What I really like about the Paper Calculator is that it is a very user-friendly tool. Now the improvements are supposed to make it even more easier to use. In addition, the new calculator includes updated industry data and technical input from diverse stakeholders. The Paper Calculator is made available to users for free by the Environmental Paper Network thanks to its coalition members, its supporters, and through Power User premium sponsorships.
The key improvements in version 3.2 include:
- More completely capturing the life cycle water use of both recycled and virgin fiber based on consultation with industry associations and life cycle experts
- Updated national average data on mill performance
- Calculates the environmental savings of both post-consumer and pre-consumer recycled content
- Updated decomposition rates for each of the paper grades based on new data
The Paper Calculator is committed to independence and transparency and a detailed documentation of the Paper Calculator version 3.2 methodology can be found at http://calculator.environmentalpaper.org/resources_and_tools.
You can check it out and try it for yourself at www.papercalculator.org.
Finally, one more word about the EPN - the Environmental Paper Network is a coalition of non-profit organizations working together to protect the earth’s climate and endangered forests by transforming the production and consumption of paper products. The Steering Committee of the Environmental Paper Network is 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. Learn more about the Environmental Paper Network at www.environmentalpaper.org.
Yours,Raz @ Eco-Libris
Eco-Libris: Plant trees for your books!
