Paper Health Check Guide To 'Greener' Products

Media Paper Management has experienced what it described as an overwhelming response from companies seeking advice on environmentally friendly papers for their printed products.

The St.

Albans (UK) paper supplier launched its workshop last December with the needs of a diverse customer base in mind.

Media Paper Management's managing director, Doug Jessop, said: "Our customers fall into a number of categories, including consumer and contract publishing, direct mail, tour operating and retail.

It's quite a varied range in terms of industry sectors but the common theme throughout is the demand for papers that are cost-effective and environmentally sound." Jessop said he is delighted with the interest and enquires that have been generated through the workshop so far.

He commented: "We put considerable thought in to developing an informative and usable site and we've achieved this by providing eight interactive tools supported by a comprehensive glossary of terms and definitions." One of the interactive tools is the Paper Health Check service.

Jessop added that although not a new service to the company's customers, it has been revamped so that potential clients can submit details of their publications and in return receive an analysis of alternative paper grades that can offer improvements in terms of quality and cost, as well as the possibility of adding a valid environmental accreditation.

The Paper Health Check is provided as a one-page results table, which demonstrates a direct comparison of the user's existing paper grade along with the proposed alternatives.

The results are broken down into technical specifications, an environmental assessment and a breakdown of costs, said Media Paper Management.

Media Commercial Management's commercial director, Michael Robertson, said: "The Paper Health Check was initially developed as a means of volunteering information on viable market alternatives to existing clients.

It is our responsibility to continuously update customers of information on relevant paper grades, and the Paper Health Check seemed a concise and formal way of fulfilling this duty." He continued: "It is our policy to send existing clients a PHC at least every six months.

Should they wish to further investigate any of the alternatives suggested then we can provide printed examples, mock-up dummies and even trial reels to tag onto a forthcoming print run." And the company's environmental manager, Danny Doogan, explained: "Being environmentally responsible for printing paper can involve the use recycled grades, certified papers from sustainably managed forests, or simply even papers that are of a lower basis weight.

We offer a complete selection of recycled papers to suit all long-run print processes and as both an FSC and PEFC accredited supplier, we can extend the chain of custody to our who prefer to use grades from sustainable sources." He also explained that the suggestion of reverting to a lower basis weight is more lateral way of thinking when examining the environmental impact of actual paper usage.

And he said: "This is particularly where the Paper Health Check can come in to its own.

By carefully choosing across the generic paper range it is quite possible to achieve a very similar end product with a reduced paper weight." Media Paper Management's sales director, David Norton, observed: "The Paper Health Check is an interesting way of introducing paper procurement to the user, demonstrating how even subtle changes can produce a significant cost advantage whilst providing a greener option.

Because we're obliged to volunteer a Paper Health Check every six months, it is guaranteed that the customer can never become complacent about their business.".

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