Australian Government
ICT Sustainability Plan 2010-2015
Mandatory Environmental Standards
GUIDELINE 4
Environmental Standard 4 (ES4)
Recycled content office copy paper
Contents
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 1
THE STANDARD ............................................................................................................................ 2
PURPOSE OF THIS STANDARD ....................................................................................................... 2
WHEN DOES THIS STANDARD APPLY ............................................................................................. 3
DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETING THIS STANDARD ........................................................................ 3
AS/NZS ISO 14021:2000 ENVIRONMENTAL LABELS AND DECLARATIONS - SELF-DECLARED ENVIRONMENTAL
CLAIMS (TYPE II ENVIRONMENTAL LABELLING) .............................................................................................. 3
GENERAL USE OFFICE COPY PAPER ............................................................................................................... 3
VIRGIN FIBRE CONTENT ............................................................................................................................. 4
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS WHEN IMPLEMENTING THIS STANDARD ....................................... 4
WHEN PRE-CONSUMER AND VIRGIN FIBRE CONTENT IS NECESSARY ................................................................... 4
EXTERNAL PRINTING AND COPYING CONTRACTS ............................................................................................. 4
SUITABILITY OF RECYCLED CONTENT PAPER FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ................................................................ 5
COMPATIBILITY OF IMAGING DEVICES AND RECYCLED PAPER ............................................................................ 5
RELATED ICT SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES .................................................................................... 5
COORDINATED PROCUREMENT .................................................................................................... 5
CHECKLIST FOR AGENCIES ............................................................................................................. 6
RECOMMENDED READING AND RESOURCES ................................................................................. 8
APPENDIX 1 PAPER TYPE BY PAPER USE GUIDANCE TABLE ........................................................ 10
Introduction
The Australian Government ICT Sustainability Plan 2010-2015 (ICT Sustainability Plan)
introduces a number of strategies and actions aimed at assisting agencies to better manage
the environmental performance and impacts of the information and communications
technology (ICT) they procure and use.
Section 2 of the ICT Sustainability Plan focuses on improving sustainable ICT procurement
within Australian Government agencies, given the government is a major consumer of ICT
products and services. It introduces six mandatory environmental standards into ICT
procurement processes to establish minimum levels of environmental performance for
relevant ICT acquisitions. These standards also signal to suppliers and manufacturers the
Australian Government’s intentions for improved ICT sustainability practices.
This is also supported by the Department of Finance and Deregulation’s guidance on the
principles and practices of incorporating sustainability when purchasing for the Australian
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Government.1 The sustainability guidance is under the Procurement Policy Framework,
which establishes the Government’s expectation for all departments and agencies when
performing duties in relation to procurement.2 It also governs how agencies procure property
or services and reinforces the fundamental procurement principle of value for money.
The standard
The following guidelines have been developed to help agencies, and suppliers, to
understand and apply Environmental Standard 4 – ES4 (Box 1) within the context of ICT
procurement in Australian Government operations.
Box 1: ICT Sustainability Plan – ES4 extract
General use office copy paper to have a minimum post-consumer recycled content of 50 per
cent by July 2011, progressing to 100 per cent recycled content by July 2015.
Remaining virgin fibre content is to originate from chain-of-custody sources, such as Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC) certified sources/forests, Program for the Endorsement of Forest
Certification (PEFC) schemes or from sustainably managed forests.
Agencies are required to introduce similar paper content standards for external printing and
design contracts, where possible.
Purpose of this standard
Office copy paper is a significant consumable in Australian Government operations estimated
at 6 500 tonnes per annum for internal printing – that is printing conducted within an agency
premises3. Such a vast volume of paper consumption has a significant impact on the
environment, when considering the impact across the life cycle of paper, including
harvesting, manufacturing, distribution, use and disposal.
While a number of agencies are already using recycled content copy paper, this
environmental standard will provide clarification for all agencies in regard to the use of
recycled content copy papers, and reinforce the Australian Government’s commitment to
sustainability.
Government agencies are now required to use post consumer recycled content paper for
general use copying and printing. ‘Post consumer’ recycled content paper is paper is often
manufactured from discarded materials such as newspapers, office paper, magazines and
packaging.
Post consumer recycled content paper has many positive benefits, including:
 stimulates demand for additional source stock which supports the objectives of the
Australian Packaging Covenant.
 a smaller ecological footprint than using virgin fibre – by reducing loss of biodiversity
and habitat, carbon emissions, energy use, water use, and hazardous substances.4
 reduces competition for productive land use.
 supports other Australian Government policies and international agreements,
including the ‘Plantations for Australia – the 2020 Vision’ and the ‘2008 AustraliaIndonesia Forest Carbon Partnership’, which includes programs that reduce carbon
emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
1
Incorporating Sustainability www.finance.gov.au/procurement/procurement-policy-and-guidance/buying/policyframework/incorporating-sustainability/principles.html
2 Procurement Policy Framework www.finance.gov.au/procurement/procurement-policy-and-guidance/buying/index.html
3 Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), 2009, Green Office Procurement and Sustainable Office Management. ANAO Audit
Report No. 25 2008-09, www.anao.gov.au/uploads/documents/2008-09_Audit_Report_25.pdf p58
4 Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW (2009). Know your paper: a guide to purchasing recycled content
office paper. www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/sustainbus/0988KnowYourPrintPaperPart1.pdf p14-16
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When does this standard apply
This standard applies when agencies approach the market for a new stationery or paper
contract. Post consumer recycled content of 50 per cent will be a default item for general use
office copy paper in a suppliers’ catalogue.
Agencies will need to include this standard in ICT procurement processes and
documentation from July 2011.
Definitions and interpreting this standard
AS/NZS ISO 14021:2000 Environmental Labels and Declarations - Self-declared
environmental claims (Type II environmental labelling)
This standard specifies requirements for self-declared environmental claims, including
statements, symbols and graphics, regarding products. It further describes selected terms
commonly used in environmental claims and give qualifications for their use. (ISO 14021,
page 1)
7.8.1 Usage of terms
7.8.1.1 Recycled content and its associated terms shall be interpreted as follows:
a) Recycled content
Proportion, by mass, of recycled material in a product or packaging. Only preconsumer and post-consumer materials shall be considered as recycled content,
consistent with the following usage of terms.
1) Pre-consumer material
Material diverted from the waste stream during a manufacturing process.
Excluded is reutilization of materials such as rework, regrind or scrap
generated in a process and capable of being reclaimed within the same
process that generated it.
2) Post-consumer material
Material generated by households or by commercial, industrial and
institutional facilities in their role as end-users of the product which can no
longer by use for its intended purpose. This includes returns of material from
the distribution chain.
b) Recycled material
Material that has been reprocessed from recovered [reclaimed] material by means of
manufacturing process and made into final product or into a component for
incorporation into a product.
c) Recovered [reclaimed] material
Material that would have otherwise been disposed of as waste or used for energy
recovery, but has instead been collected and recovered [reclaimed] as a material
input, in lieu of new primary material, for a recycling or manufacturing process.
General use office copy paper
General use office copy paper is regarded as plain A4 size paper, mostly 80gsm, and used in
the course of internal printing and copying tasks where documents will be kept for less than
30 years.
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The National Archives of Australia (NAA) does not recommend using recycled paper to
generate documents that will be kept for 30 years or more5.
Virgin fibre content
Virgin fibre content with respect to copy paper refers to the fibres used in the paper
production process that have been sourced directly from harvested or felled forests, with no
recycling process of the fibres having occurred between the tree harvesting and paper
manufacturing phases. When purchasing paper with virgin fibre content a key consideration
is whether the fibre originates from chain-of-custody sources or from sustainably managed
forests.
To provide consumers with a level of environmental assurance internationally recognised
sustainable forestry stewardship organisations, such as the Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC) and Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) have developed
sustainable forest management and chain of custody certifications. These organisations are
independent, non government, not-for-profit organisations, providing third party certification
of forestry products through their internationally recognised standards, certification and
product labelling systems.
The Australian Forestry Standard (AFS) is endorsed by the PEFC and also provides
assurance within the Australian context.
Important considerations when implementing this standard
When pre-consumer and virgin fibre content is necessary
There are various circumstances when pre-consumer and virgin fibre content is necessary:
 when purchasing general use office copy paper with at least 50 per cent post
consumer recycled content, the other 50 per cent may be comprised of pre-consumer
or virgin fibre – in procurement contracts until July 2015
 purchasing archival paper for documents to be kept for 30 years or more
 purchasing paper for purposes other than general office use, or
 where supply is limited, restricted or where supply contracts do not extend to some
geographic locations, such as remote areas or overseas locations.
External printing and copying contracts
Where possible, it is recommended to introduce this standard into external printing and
copying contracts.
Some government agency external printing volumes far exceed internal printing volumes.6
Using recycled content paper maybe a viable option for items that have a short life span.
Examples include the production of publications (except master sets designated to be
retained as national archives), pamphlets, forms and brochures.
The ANAO’s 2008-09 Audit Report 7 noted that thirty-eight percent of agencies advised they
use at least some recycled paper in their external printing. A small number of agencies also
required ISO 14001 accreditation for their printer suppliers, environmental certification
standard for their printing stock, and/or the use of plant based inks without heavy metals.
5
National Archives of Australia, 2010, Which paper should I use? www.naa.gov.au/records-management/secure-andstore/physical-preservation/faq/which-paper.aspx#section1
6 ANAO, 2009, Green Office Procurement and Sustainable Office Management, ANAO Audit Report No. 25 2008-09,
www.anao.gov.au/uploads/documents/2008-09_Audit_Report_25.pdf p63
7 ANAO, 2009, Green Office Procurement and Sustainable Office Management, ANAO Audit Report No. 25 2008-09,
www.anao.gov.au/uploads/documents/2008-09_Audit_Report_25.pdf p64
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Suitability of recycled content paper for archival purposes
There are a range of papers available for archival purposes currently on the market. These
include ‘permanent’ paper, and ‘archival’ paper, some of which are currently available with
recycled content.
Various standards govern the composition and naming of paper. The compositions of
archival and permanent papers are governed by the following national and international
standards8:
 AS 4003-1996 Permanent Paper, and
 ISO 11108-1996 Information and Documentation - Archival Paper - Requirements for
Permanence.
National Archives of Australia (NAA) has also issued a specification for archival copy paper
which defines a paper with both high permanence (chemical stability) and high durability
(physical strength over time). Paper that meets the requirements of this specification is
entitled to use the ‘Archival Quality’ certification trademark issued by the National Archives.
Information on the scheme and on paper that has passed the testing regime is available on
the NAA website. The NAA specifically excludes paper with recycled content from its
standard due to the inconsistency of recycled fibre and the tendency of the recycling process
to result in shorter and weaker fibres with consequent poor tear strength and fold endurance.
Compatibility of imaging devices and recycled paper
Current imaging devices are designed to operate effectively with recycled content paper. The
historic association with paper jams when using recycled paper is no longer valid for modern
commercial devices. Changes to recycled paper production processes and the design and
manufacture of commercial imaging devices have overcome these issues.
To ensure best performance of imaging devices it is important that devices are cleaned and
serviced in accordance with the maintenance schedule.
Related ICT sustainability strategies
While the Australian Government has introduced an environmental standard for recycled
content paper, agencies are also required to reduce internal office copy paper use to 9
reams per person by July 2015. As such, internal office copy paper in the Australian
Government is expected to reduce by 50 per cent on current baseline levels.
Initiatives to assist meeting the 9 ream target include:



staff awareness/education programs promoting practices to reduce paper use –
integrated into the agency’s environmental management system (EMS) program
follow-me print solution – a print will not be activated unless a user swipes a
recognition device located on the imaging device, and
electronic document records management systems (EDRMS) – a survey by the
Australian National Audit Office noted that higher paper consumption occurred where
there was no EDRMS.9
Coordinated Procurement
Coordinated procurement contracting is a government initiative to establish whole-ofgovernment arrangements for goods and services in common use to maximise market
benefits and deliver efficiencies and savings. These arrangements are established by the
Department of Finance and Deregulation and FMA agencies are required to make purchases
through these arrangements.
8
NSW Government State Records, 2010, Standards for Paper, www.records.nsw.gov.au/recordkeeping/governmentrecordkeeping-manual/guidance/recordkeeping-in-brief/recordkeeping-in-brief-22#purchasing-archival-and-permanent
9
ANAO, 2009, Green Office Procurement and Sustainable Office Management. ANAO Audit Report No. 25 2008-09,
www.anao.gov.au/uploads/documents/2008-09_Audit_Report_25.pdf p58
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Agencies should regularly refer to the Whole-of-Government Procurement Contracts,
Arrangements and Initiatives section of the Department of Finance and Deregulation website
(www.finance.gov.au/procurement/wog-procurement/index.html ) to review all current
coordinated procurement arrangements.
Agencies should be aware of the following coordinated procurement arrangement:
Stationery and Office Supplies
On 7 March 2012, the Department of Finance and Deregulation established a Stationery
and Office Supplies (SOS) Whole of Government Panel. The list of successful Panellists
can be found at http://www.finance.gov.au/procurement/StationeryandOfficeSupplies.html
Use of the panel is mandatory for Australian Government agencies subject to the
Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997.
Enquiries should be directed to SOSHelpDesk@finance.gov.au or (02) 6215 3704.
Further references relating to procurement by agencies can be found below under
‘recommended reading and resources’.
Checklist for agencies
The following checklist can be tailored to suit individual agency circumstances.
Internal copying/printing under current procurement contract

Activity
Top down support/awareness of requirement across relevant managerial groups – IT,
Procurement, Environmental Management, and other senior management groups.
Operational staff alerted to new requirement – purchasing officers, IT staff and other staff
who often fill paper in the machines.
Current supplier is alerted to the new standard – if possible introduce compliant paper into
the current purchasing catalogue. However, please note the standard does not apply until
contracts are renewed or tendered.
Possibly trial and monitor performance of a variety of copy papers compliant to the standard
to determine best paper for the agency.
Operational staff informed of new copy paper purchasing requirements and how to order.
All staff are trained as to when and how to print with recycled content and archival paper.
Share progress and experiences in meeting the standard with fellow government agencies.
Performance reported in the Annual Report – percent of recycled content used, consumed
and a percent of total quantity.
External design and printing process (optional but recommended)

Activity
Notify staff of the new standard that are involved in sourcing external design and printing
contracts, and recommend the standard into these contracts.
Notify relevant external printers and design studios of recommendations under the new
standard.
Consider Incorporating new standard into existing guidelines for design and printing
contracts.
Share progress and experiences in meeting the standard with fellow government agencies.
Performance reported in the Annual Report – percent of recycled content used, consumed
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and a percent of total quantity.
Request for Tender phase

Activity
Tender documents describe the requirements for this standard.
Request a copy paper catalogue from prospective suppliers to determine which paper types
are appropriate for their range of business applications and archiving needs.
Share progress and experiences in meeting the standard with fellow government agencies,
including draft clauses.
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Recommended reading and resources
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, 2010,
Australian Government ICT Sustainability Plan 2010-15 - the overarching policy for agencies
containing mandatory environmental standards for ICT procurement; and targets and
strategies to achieve sustainability in Government ICT operations
www.environment.gov.au/sustainability/government/ictplan/index.html.
Recycled content paper and paper standards
Australian National Audit Office (2009), Green Office Procurement and Sustainable Office
Management (Audit report No. 25 2008-09) - a comprehensive assessment and report on the
progress being made by government agencies in achieving better practice in green office
procurement and sustainable office management,
www.anao.gov.au/uploads/documents/2008-09_Audit_Report_25.pdf.
Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW (2009), Purchasing Office Paper and
Products – useful guides to procuring recycled content paper. Provides an overview of the
rationale for buying recycled content paper, and practical guidance,
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/sustainbus/officewasteguides.htm.
National Archives of Australia (NAA) (accessed 2010) www.naa.gov.au
The NAA website provides various sets of guidance to understand the rationale and process
for keeping of Commonwealth Agency records, and the importance of correct paper use in
relation to archiving. Relevant articles appear below:
Which paper should I use? http://naa.gov.au/records-management/preserve/physicalpreservation/index.aspx.
Rules for use of archival quality certification trademark, www.naa.gov.au/recordsmanagement/preserve/physical-preservation/paper-rules-of-use.aspx.
Why records are kept: directions in appraisal,
www.naa.gov.au/Images/Why%20records%20are%20kept%5B1%5D_tcm2-4856.pdf.
NSW Government State Records (2010), Selecting appropriate paper for the creation of
records - strategies for ensuring appropriate paper is used within the office. Contains
particularly useful guidance to ensure paper (recycled, archival, other) is used appropriately
within the office, www.records.nsw.gov.au/recordkeeping/government-recordkeepingmanual/guidance/recordkeeping-in-brief/recordkeeping-in-brief-22.
For information on recommended sustainable forest management and chain of custody
certification (accessed 2010):
Forestry Stewardship Council www.fsc.org.
Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification http://pefc.org.
The Australian Forest Certification Scheme (AFCS) www.forestrystandard.org.au.
Procurement
Department of Finance and Deregulation, 2011, Procurement Policy Framework,
www.finance.gov.au/procurement/procurement-policy-and-guidance/buying/index.html.
Department of Finance and Deregulation, Buying for the Australian Government:
Incorporating Sustainability, www.finance.gov.au/procurement/procurement-policy-andguidance/buying/policy-framework/incorporating-sustainability/principles.html.
Department of Finance and Deregulation, Whole-of-Government Procurement Contracts,
Arrangements and Initiatives, www.finance.gov.au/procurement/wog-procurement/index.html.
Department of Finance and Deregulation, ICT Procurement,
www.finance.gov.au/procurement/ict-procurement/index.html.
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Guidance Materials for the ICT Sustainability Plan
The following suite of guidance materials has been prepared to assist Australian Government
agencies and the ICT industry to understand the requirement of the Australian Government’s
ICT Sustainability Plan. They can be found on the Australian Government ICT Sustainability
website www.environment.gov.au/sustainability/government/ictplan/index.html. Agencies can
also access them on the ISAGA GovDex site www.govdex.gov.au/ (email
sustainableict@environment.gov.au to request access to GovDex).
Guidelines
Guideline 1
Environmental Standard 1: ICT equipment environmental standards
Guideline 2
Environmental Standard 2: ICT equipment and ENERGY STAR®
Guideline 3
Guideline 4
Environmental Standard 3: Product take-back, reuse and resource recovery
Environmental Standard 4: Recycled content office copy paper
Guideline 5
Environmental Standard 5: Used packaging requirements
Guideline 6
Environmental Standard 6: ICT Suppliers and Environmental Management
Fact Sheets
Fact Sheet 1
Glossary
Fact Sheet 2
Fact Sheet 3
Responsible suppliers
Evaluation measures and weightings for procurement
Fact Sheet 4
ICT Sustainability Scorecard
Fact Sheet 5
Strengthening agency management systems
Fact Sheet 6(a)
Fact Sheet 6(b)
EPEAT Silver or equivalent eco-labels
EPEAT Criteria
Fact Sheet 7
ICT Sustainability Initiatives
Fact Sheet 8
Incorporating sustainability principles and practices into procurement
Fact Sheet 9
Agency Actions
© Commonwealth of Australia 2011
This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered
form only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your
organisation. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are
reserved. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Populations and Communities, Public Affairs, GPO
Box 787 Canberra ACT 2601 or email public.affairs@environment.gov.au
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water,
Population and Communities.
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Appendix 1
Paper type by paper use guidance table
General Use
Archival Use
Specialised Use
Definition
Copying or printing of
documents to be kept
for less than 30 years.
Copying, printing or use of
paper, typically for archival
purposes, that will be kept
for 30 years or more.
Copying or printing of
paper which has a
specialised use other
than ‘general’ and
‘archival’
Examples
Invoices, draft
documents, public
education media,
business cards
Cabinet documents for
record keeping
Certificates on bond
paper.
When
applicable
In-house AND possible
external
printing/copying
In-house AND external
printing/copying
In-house AND external
printing/copying
Required
paper type
50% post-consumer
recycled content paper
in procurement
processes from July
2011 to July 2015
Archival paper
(100% virgin fibre)
Bond paper
Thermal paper
100% recycled content
paper with a minimum
of 70% post consumer
recycled content from
July 2015.
Thermal paper for Fax
and other machines
Permanent Paper
(100% virgin fibre) – (note:
this paper is not generally
as durable as archival
paper).
Any remaining virgin
fibre is sourced from
sustainably managed
forests
Desirable
characteristics
of required
paper type
Bears ‘environmentally
preferred’ certifications
relating to
environmentally
responsible
manufacturing
processes.
Meets NAA specifications.
Has ‘environmentally
preferred’ certifications
relating to environmentally
responsible forest
stewardship and
manufacturing processes.
Consider carbon neutral
paper as an additional
desirable measure
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Bears ‘environmentally
preferred’ certifications
relating to
environmentally
responsible forest
stewardship and
manufacturing
processes.
revised 8/2013