Climate-friendly booklets

Paper. Paper, paper! School is starting again in Austria. At the top of the checklist associated with the start of school is the purchase of notebooks and pads. These are produced, must be disposed of at some point, and hopefully can be recycled. If the "right" paper products are purchased, then nothing stands in the way of the notebooks "living on." And no "mountain of paper" is created!

Keep your eyes open when shopping! The best thing to do is to look for the Austrian Ecolabel designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser together with the kids. Because notebooks with this label meet strict ecological guidelines: All printed products awarded with this seal of quality - and these also include exercise books - reduce the possible negative effects of such products on our health and the environment! Whereby for eco-labelled exercise books "only the use of papers with a recycled fiber content of 100% is permitted". Furthermore: If a labeling field is attached, this must be in the form of an imprint, adhesive labels may not be used. Foil lamination of the booklet cover is not permitted.

Production Requirements. "In addition to general requirements for the entire operation, the criteria for awarding the Austrian Ecolabel for printing and recycled paper products focus on resource conservation in production and finishing. For example, books, brochures and newspapers as well as products made of recycled paper can be awarded. The criteria cover various printing and finishing processes," explains Josef Reschl, expert for printed products at the Association for Consumer Information in Vienna.

Comprehensive certification approach. Josef Reschl informs us: "The Ecolabel represents a certification of the end product. The special feature of the Ecolabel, compared to other labels in the printing industry, is its comprehensive and flexible certification approach. This is ensured by requirements that apply to the entire company. These primarily concern measures relating to energy and waste management. In addition, eco-label companies can produce certified eco-label products as flexibly as possible using the tested machines and chemical input materials."

VOC & Waste. Every year, the VOC value of the chemistry used in production must be disclosed. The abbreviation VOC stands for "Volatile Organic Compounds", volatile organic compounds in indoor air. But the waste rate must also be reported: This records the quantity of mostly printed paper that is produced during the production process but cannot be used.

The certified production facility must comply with limits for the waste rate and VOC value. "The limitation of VOC emissions, which, depending on the extent and exposure, represent a burden for the environment and employees, is the subject of the Ecolabel. Furthermore, the strict requirements for substances and mixtures used, e.g. limited use of biocides, represent a central component of the Ecolabel," explains Josef Reschl.

New class, new booklets. Protecting the environment! When an exercise book is full, it is usually disposed of. Exercise books with the Austrian Ecolabel are guaranteed to be recyclable! Because: Like all printed products certified with this seal of quality, printing ink (keyword: deinkability!) and non-paper components can be removed again. The paper grades used in themselves also guarantee recyclability. This achieves the important goal of the Ecolabel Guideline for Printing and Recycled Paper Products: "to promote the collection and recycling of waste paper and thus contribute to the conservation of resources and the reduction of waste".

In this way, two important goals are achieved in everyday school life: learning for one's personal future and doing good for the environment with booklets and printed products that display the Austrian Ecolabel!

Further information. The UZ24 guideline for printing and recycled paper products - This guideline was published with 1.1.2021. An English version is not yet available.