edding has once again done its bit for the environment with the introduction of the latest eco-friendly development: since the start of April 2008, standard copier/ printer paper has been replaced by 100% recycled paper!

Before the Board of Directors approved the switch, the paper was tested internally by all the departments. As already confirmed time and again by a host of independent tests, the results of our in-house trial were also favourable. The recycled paper we are now using is a product that has been awarded Blue Angel certification (German certification for environmentally-friendly production processes and raw materials). This guarantees that the paper, in accordance with RAL-ZU 14 guidelines, is made entirely of recycled paper, without any optical brightening agents (neither chlorine nor chlorine compounds, etc.). Resistance to ageing and workability (DIN 12281) are also guaranteed.  This move also means savings in water, a vital resource. That’s because there is no need to produce pulp when making recycled paper, with the result that substantially less water is used compared with the traditional process. To explain things better, take this useful analogy: if you were to take the energy saved by switching to recycled paper, the consumption of a pallet of recycled copier paper saves as much CO² as a 500-km car journey!

Yet even before we took this step, paper has always been part of our company’s environmental management. For the print of the 2008 edding catalogue, for example, FSC paper (Forest Stewardship Council) has been purchased.

What is more, we will be keeping staff regularly informed to increase awareness and promote the sparing use of paper in our day-to-day office life. For example, at the start of this year a notice was attached to printers urging staff to print on both sides.

Ahrensburg, 21.04.2008
Patricia Siebel /Friederike Dumke
Environmental Management