Paper Grades — Refocusing on Recycled

These days, most paper mills offer a plethora of grades containing up to 100-percent postconsumer content. Yet, with recycled no longer the burning issue of the day, has the popularity of such grades lost its fire?

When recycled grades were first developed as a viable alternative to virgin paper, environmentalists cheered, but printers were less enthusiastic. "About eight or nine years ago, there were only a handful of mills recycling paper, and you had to go out of your way to find it," recalls Robert Sternau, director of marketing and sales for Wheal-Grace, an eco-friendly commercial printer located in Bellville, NJ.