In doing some research on the paper industry I thought about the green claim that almost everyone has seen on consumer products, “post-consumer waste” or “post-consumer content”.  This claim is usually preceded by some type of percentage implying that the product is manufactured from X% post-consumer waste. What strikes me as odd is that I never see the claim “pre-consumer waste”, which if you think about it any type of recycling is beneficial whether it happened before the consumer touched it or after. Now, as you might hope to read the answer here, I leave this post with as much of a question as an answer.

Recently, on a tour of a paper manufacturing facility, I learned that the plant runs up to 100% of its burners on bio-fuel (depends on how much supply they can find), they have retrofitted the lighting system with motion detectors and energy efficient lights, the water used in the process returns to the river cleaner than with it was pulled out and almost all of its “PRE-consumer waste” is recycled. Pre-consumer waste consists of trimmings, waste created from the start or end of a manufacturing cycle or overages. ?????? ????? ???? ????? ???????? online

Tons of pre-consumer waste can be saved from going to landfills and there are companies, like the one referenced above, that are going to great strides to cut down on waste and keep what waste is created out of landfills. My question is why do companies put such a focus on post-consumer waste, instead of pre-consumer waste? Don’t they basically achieve the same end result of reducing water usage, fewer trees being cut down and less waste put into landfills?

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Posted by M. Hall 9-17-09 ???????? ???? ????? ??????? ?????? ? ?????? ????? ?????