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Revive - Our Favourite Paper for 100% Recycled Printing

By Ray | February 22, 2008

Many of our customers require 100% recycled for their printing needs and for some time now we have been using Revive Uncoated - a 100% Post Consumer Waste (PCW) Paper from Robert Horne Group. We have tried many such papers over the last few years and this sheet outperforms all the rest. It’s reasonably priced too!

Why Consider Recycled Printing?

There are three main environmental reasons for switching to 100% recycled printing:

It saves trees!
If paper isn’t recycled it goes to landfill - so by switching to recycled paper for your printing you’re helping to create demand.
Paper recycling uses far less energy than making virgin fibre paper.

For more information, and to dispel some negative “urban myths” have a look at our article which explains the facts about recycled paper

Revive Uncoated - 100% Recycled Paper

The first thing to understand is that Revive, like most 100% recycled papers, is uncoated (as opposed to glossy). In other words, it has a finish and texture like a letterhead or copier paper. The benefit here is that the sheet has an obvious organic look and feel, and is also great if you want a retro looking print job. In terms of whiteness it is similar to virgin fibre paper but best described as soft white rather than brilliant “Persil” white.

Another great thing about Revive is that it’s available in a wide range of weights from 100gsm and 120gsm, which is ideal for letterheads and leaflets, through to 280gsm and 325gsm, which is ideal for flyers, business cards and presentation folders.

It is quite a bulky sheet too, which means it is thicker than gloss or silk coated paper of the same weight. For example, 120gsm is 138 microns (equivalent in thickness to 170gsm gloss) and 325gsm is 385 microns (equivalent to 400gsm silk). This helps to keep the printing costs comparable to conventional paper, as you can use a much lower weight to achieve the same thickness!

As well as being 100% recycled, the production process is Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF), another big tick in the environmental box! If you want more detailed technical information here is the Product Specification Sheet from Robert Horne.

FSC 100% Recycled Certification

Another great thing about Revive is that it is one of the few recycled sheets to carry “FSC 100% Recycled” Certification from the Forest Stewardship Council. Therefore, if you use Printers with FSC Chain of Custody such as us, you can display the logo on your print job. It is also your guarantee that the credentials of the paper and its manufacturer have been vetted by a respected independent body.

Some of you are wondering why the FSC gets involved with recycled fibre, as it does not involve trees! Well, the answer is two-fold. Firstly, recycling saves trees and secondly, if a paper mill has been audited for FSC virgin fibre production, you can be sure of the credentials of their recycled output too. In other words, it’s a guarantee of authenticity.

Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Recycled Print

If you don’t want your print on recycled paper there are eco-friendly alternatives you can use. There are plenty of virgin fibre papers that carry FSC Certification, which is your guarantee of truly sustainable, best practice “tree farming” for paper pulp. In our case we use Regency FSC Gloss and Silk to meet such customer needs. Our article about FSC Papers gives you the necessary information to make an informed choice.

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