Equipment
Manufacturers
Major
manufacturers of printers, copiers, and other office
machines were interviewed separately about the performance
of recycled paper in their equipment. Nearly all manufacturers
found no reason why there should be any differences
between the performance of recycled or virgin paper
in their equipment. Manufacturer responses to specific
survey questions follow. Some questions are repeated
in a number of different ways to get at nuances in the
responses.
LISTENING
STUDY: We're hearing from many people that they're afraid
to use recycled paper because it would void their copier
warranty. Does your warranty say that?
"No.
In fact, our official contract information says our
machines produce satisfactory copies on recycled paper."
- Copier Manufacturer A
"There
is no voiding of the warranty for using recycled paper
in our laserjet printers." - Paul Quickert, Hewlett-Packard
"No.
Warranties are more performance-based. We can't tell
the customer what type of paper to put in our machines;
our only restrictions are based on size and weight."
- Copier Manufacturer C
"If
a product is approved for use, a standard warranty would
apply. Our warranty policy is stated on our website,
but doesn't mention specific papers." - Frank Stadler,
Ocˇ-USA
"No,
there is nothing specific in our warranty with reference
to recycled paper." - Savin
"No, there is no language in our warranties mentioning
recycled paper." - Copier Manufacturer G
"Our
warranty does not specifically state that. Our operation
manual states that we can support recycled paper as
long as it is suitable for that copier." - Copier
Manufacturer H
"Xerox
warranty language does not prohibit the use of recycled
paper in its copiers, printers or multifunction systems."
- Elizabeth Graves, EH&S Regulatory Affairs Manager,
Xerox
LISTENING
STUDY: If your warranty does not expressly prohibit
the use of recycled papers, then where do you think
this concern is coming from?
"I
have heard of some people having trouble with recycled
paper, but I think it depends on the grade of the paper.
I am not aware of any problems with recycled copier
paper." - Copier Manufacturer A
"No
idea. These days, however, we get fewer requests for
information on the use of recycled paper in our machines,
and fewer bid specifications now require recycled paper.
Cost is a big issue, but not the only issue contributing
to this problem; it is still hard to overcome buyers'
opinions based on past experience of runnability problems
with recycled paper." - Savin
"To
answer this question, you have to look at the history
of recycled paper. Recycled paper has a history when
it became fashionable, and the federal government required
that machines accept recycled paper. Back 10 or 15 years
ago, some of the paper on the market was pretty bad,
in terms of copier performance: how it fed, how clean
it was. Dust and lint will increase problems. Also,
there were experiments with bonding materials. 'Inert'
ingredients were problematic. The paper was bad, and
machines were not designed for it. Probably, at that
time, some companies said using recycled paper would
void their warranties." - Copier Manufacturer H
"Xerox develops for each of its products (copiers, printers,
multifunction systems) a 'recommended media list' -
a list of papers and other media that Xerox has tested
extensively to ensure optimal print quality and runnability
in Xerox equipment. These lists include a wide range
of papers, including recycled papers.
If a customer reports
a print quality or runnability problem with a paper
that is not included on the recommended media list,
a Xerox service technician responding to the customer
will recommend that the customer try another batch number
of the same paper or a different brand of paper. If
a customer continues using the problem non-recommended
material, Xerox might consider subsequent service calls
related to the problem material to be outside of the
customer's service contract (and the service calls would
be an additional charge to the customer)." - Elizabeth
Graves, EH&S Regulatory Affairs Manager, Xerox
LISTENING
STUDY: Is there anything in your warranty about recycled
paper, whether forbidding it or accepting it?
"There
may have been something early on in our warranties pertaining
to recycled, but that is definitely not true today.
The warranties do limit/prohibit remanufactured toner
cartridges." - Paul Quickert, Hewlett-Packard
Our
operations manual states the following:
"Use of Recycled Paper in the Copier: As with all copiers
and reproduction devices, the use of the appropriate
paper ensures the best image quality of the copies and
the machine's performance and reliability. Because of
the extreme variances in composition and quality of
paper from various manufacturers, consumers should ensure
the recycled paper they use is suitable for the copier.
In accordance with the EPA Energy Star Program guidelines,
[Manufacturer H] recommends the following recycled papers
for use in the copier:
Great White MultiUse 20 paper
Great White MultiUse 24 paper
If you have any questions regarding the use of recycled
paper in your copier, contact your authorized service
technician." - Copier Manufacturer H
LISTENING
STUDY: What is your policy regarding use of recycled
paper in your copiers?
"For
inquiries on recycled paper, [Manufacturer A] has issued
the following statement:
[Manufacturer A] Copying Equipment (except Color Laser
Copiers) produces satisfactory copies on recycled paper
that meets the Joint Committee on Printing Standard
JCP 0-65." - Copier Manufacturer A
"We
have no official policy regarding the use of recycled
paper in our copiers by customers." - Paul Quickert,
Hewlett-Packard
"Our machines accept and use recycled paper. It's in
our specs, but that's an internal document only." -
Copier Manufacturer C
"Our
parent company is committed to using recycled products
and recycled paper." - Savin
"Xerox
designs all of its papers, regardless of their recycled
content, for optimal performance in Xerox equipment.
Xerox recycled papers must meet the same stringent performance
and reliability standards (including strict specifications
for dust, contamination, paper curl, static, and cut
quality) as comparable virgin papers, and carry the
same guarantees. The "recommended media lists" that
Xerox develops for each of its products include a wide
range of papers - both virgin and recycled." - Elizabeth
Graves, EH&S Regulatory Affairs Manager, Xerox
LISTENING
STUDY: What is your experience with the use of recycled
papers in your copiers?
"We
don't have any problem with the use of recycled papers
in our copiers." - Copier Manufacturer A
"We
can't release our internal information on studies/tests
on recycled and treefree papers. Virtually all the recycled
papers out there are indiscernible from virgin: they're
dust-free, acid-free, etc." - Paul Quickert, Hewlett-Packard
"Most
of the problems we have encountered with higher postconsumer
content papers relate to increased curl - the shorter
fibers cause the paper to curl more frequently in the
heat of the copier process." - Savin
"In
copiers in general, not just ours, some recycled papers
perform better than others. Factors like postconsumer
content may not be the problem; it depends on how it's
manufactured. Higher postconsumer content represents
a greater challenge for the manufacturer (in terms of
keeping the quality high)." - Copier Manufacturer
G
"Our
experience is similar to the general history of paper
usage, including abrasions and dusting. The industry
caught up quickly and we've been recommending recycled
paper for at least 7 years, minimum. Recycled paper
improved, and now feeds as well as virgin. You can take
the top quality paper of many manufacturers and they'll
pour equal amounts of dust in. A brand isn't assurance
of quality. Papers from East coast mills have different
fiber lengths because of their source of raw fiber.
We do test and we can recommend specific papers. In
the Japanese market, recycled paper is almost the whole
market, and there are no issues with it." - Copier
Manufacturer H
"Xerox
tracks inquiries/complaints from owners of Xerox equipment
having difficulty with paper and other media. Complaints
about Xerox papers are tracked separately from those
for competitive (i.e. non-Xerox) papers.
With respect to
Xerox papers, we do not see a disproportionately high
level of customer dissatisfaction with recycled paper.
Complaints about Xerox recycled paper account for less
than 1% of all complaints about Xerox papers. By contrast,
recycled paper does account for a somewhat disproportionately
high percentage of complaints from customers running
competitive papers in their equipment. Although we estimate
recycled paper represents only 5% of total paper used
in Xerox equipment, more than 10% of all complaints
about competitive paper are attributable to recycled
paper." - Elizabeth Graves, EH&S Regulatory Affairs
Manager, Xerox
LISTENING
STUDY: Is there any problem with using recycled paper
in your copiers? Specifically, is there a problem with
dusting (which can impair the operation of optical sensors)
generated by higher postconsumer content papers?
"Paper
dust is the number one concern in affecting a machine's
capability. Whether or not the paper dusts varies from
paper to paper - it doesn't specifically relate to the
fiber content." - Copier Manufacturer A
"I
have no idea why people think recycled dusts more, although
I do hear that complaint about recycled paper. I also
hear complaints about multiple sheet pulls and jamming
(probably due to multiple sheet pulls). People also
have a misconception about recycled paper being only
dull brown or gray." - Paul Quickert, Hewlett-Packard
"I
have no experience of dusting caused by recycled papers.
We've tested various papers internally, including recycled
papers." - Copier Manufacturer C, marketing division
"Recycled
paper does tend to dust more than virgin paper. I think
it's the way it's recoated. It depends on the chemical
content. I haven't noted a correlation of increased
dusting with higher postconsumer content." - Copier
Manufacturer C, quality assurance division
"Several
years ago, I was in a group that tested the performance
of recycled paper in our copiers. At the time, we were
testing to look at the dusting issue. The recycled paper
we tested then did generally have more dusting than
virgin paper. However, this was several years ago; I
think recycled content paper has improved a lot since
then." - Frank Stadler, Ocˇ-USA Holding, Inc.
"Primarily,
dusting is caused by inadequate vacuuming. Another reason
papers dust more is that papers are now alkaline- rather
than acid-based. An alkaline-based sheet requires less
harmful chemicals, and is better for the environment,
but an alkaline sheet accepts or absorbs more chalk
and fillers in the papermaking process. That chalk residue
sticks to the sheet after cutting, and is still on the
sheet when it is fed into the copier, which contributes
to a greater dusting factor. Dusting is more about alkaline
vs. acid than about fiber content." - Savin
"Bad
recycled paper can dust and misfeed - although this
is true for bad virgin paper as well and isn't necessarily
due to the recycled content. Lower quality postconsumer
paper can cause more dusting, which results in the need
for additional cleanings and service requirements."
- Copier Manufacturer G
"We only know the ones we test. We test ones that have
the broadest market share as a service to our customers."
- Copier Manufacturer H
"The
complaints that Xerox has received year-to-date for
competitive (i.e. non-Xerox) recycled papers are linked
to two problems. The most common issue is excessive
contamination or dirt that negatively impacts image/print
quality. A second issue is excessive paper curl that
impacts runnability (i.e. causes paper jams).
The problems of
excessive curl and contamination are quality issues
related to the paper manufacturing process. Recycled
papers, just like virgin papers, vary from high- to
low-quality in terms of print quality and runnability.
Producing a quality paper requires papermakers to establish
strict performance specifications and to control the
variability of the papermaking process to meet these
specifications consistently - regardless of the production
run, or the paper machine or mill making the paper.
Xerox has long recognized
these potential quality issues with recycled paper.
To address them, we've established for Xerox recycled
papers the same stringent performance and reliability
specifications that apply to their virgin counterparts.
These specifications establish acceptable ranges for
paper dust, curl, paper static, and cut quality to ensure
optimum runnability." - Elizabeth Graves, EH&S Regulatory
Affairs Manager, Xerox
LISTENING
STUDY: If you feel there's no problem with using recycled
in your copiers, how do you respond to people who claim
they DO have a problem running recycled in your copiers?
What do you think is causing that problem?
"We
refer people to our contract language, and let their
dealers look into their situation." - Copier Manufacturer
A
"I
personally think some copiers just have a ghost in the
machine. Internally, our people complained when we brought
in recycled paper, but I haven't seen a single case
in which problems could be substantiated as due to recycled.
There is a negative attitude about environmental issues
in general - stories in the mainstream media are more
about doom and gloom than actual science. That's even
true in this [geographical] area, which is one of the
most educated areas about environmental issues. People
aren't closing the loop. We have to be careful how we
market our products." - Paul Quickert, Hewlett-Packard
"30%
postconsumer is a much better paper than the previous
paper specified by the government (50% recycled, 10%
postconsumer). 30% is an acceptable level of postconsumer
content - higher content is problematic. Paper sheets
require long-grain fibers for structural stability,
and there are too many short fibers in a sheet with
greater than 30% postconsumer content, making that sheet
less structurally strong. In packaging materials, higher
postconsumer content is not problematic, but copiers
are pickier in the kinds of paper they'll accept. The
standardization of paper has helped, as has improved
copier technology - today we have better paper products
and better copiers." - Savin
"Recycled
paper is also less stiff, so it presents more of a challenge
when duplexing. There are different ways the manufacturer
makes recycled paper stiff enough to perform. The chemical
composition of a particular paper can be linked to increased
dusting." - Copier Manufacturer G
"We
distribute through authorized dealers, and problems
are handled at that level. It's not too difficult. Problems
are usually narrowed down to a specific paper, and aren't
specifically due to the recycled content. For example,
there was a batch of virgin paper from Brazil used in
Florida where 1-inch pieces fell off. That was the most
recent problem we faced associated with paper. Problems
are often an environmental issue: low humidity and high
humidity are common causes of problems." - Copier
Manufacturer H
"We typically first recommend that the customer try
another batch of the same paper. If the problem continues,
we recommend another brand of paper that is on the list
of recommended media we've developed for that particular
Xerox product. Our approach to resolving issues with
problem papers is the same for both virgin and recycled
papers.
We believe that
low-quality recycled papers, just like low-quality virgin
papers, cause runnability problems in copying and printing
equipment. We also know that it is possible for recycled
papers to achieve the same performance and reliability
levels as comparable virgin papers." - Elizabeth
Graves, EH&S Regulatory Affairs Manager, Xerox
LISTENING
STUDY: Do you train copier maintenance people to be
positive towards use of recycled paper?
"We
outsource our copier maintenance." - Copier Manufacturer
A
"We
outsource our copier maintenance." - Paul Quickert,
Hewlett-Packard
"We
outsource our copier maintenance." - Savin
"Service contracts are handled individually by each
independent dealer; there is no training done by our
company." - Copier Manufacturer C
"We
sell our machines through dealerships, which are individually
responsible for servicing the equipment." - Copier
Manufacturer G
"We
sell machines to dealers and they perform maintenance.
Maintenance people point out papers recommended in the
manual, and have a neutral bias toward recycled papers."
- Copier Manufacturer H
"Xerox
trains our service technicians to focus on customer
satisfaction as their primary goal, and to work to maximize
the 'uptime' of customers' Xerox equipment. To this
end, service technicians promote the use of high-quality
paper over low-quality paper (as opposed to promoting
virgin paper over recycled paper).
Our technicians
follow the same approach to solving problems with defective
papers regardless of whether the paper is virgin or
recycled - the primary focus is making every effort
to help customers use their paper of choice. If a customer
reports a runnability problem with a competitive paper,
a Xerox service technician recommends that the customer
try another batch number or brand of paper. For example,
if the problem paper contains recycled content, the
service technician would recommend the customer try
another brand of recycled paper (as opposed to recommending
a switch to virgin paper).
If a customer reports
a print quality problem, a service technician evaluates
a machine's set-up, the quality of the machine's imaging
components, and the paper being used. In some cases,
this evaluation shows that a low-quality competitive
recycled paper is causing the image quality issue (high
adhesive/plastic content in the paper builds up on the
photoreceptor, producing spots on copies/prints). In
these cases, the technician presents the results to
the customer. It is the customer's decision to continue
using the paper or not, recognizing the implications
to print quality." - Elizabeth Graves, EH&S Regulatory
Affairs Manager, Xerox
LISTENING
STUDY: Do you provide a brand-label recycled copier
paper yourselves?
"No."
- Savin
"No." - Copier Manufacturers A, G, H
"No."
- Frank Stadler, Ocˇ-USA Holding, Inc.
"Yes.
And I've finally gotten our Office Recycled Paper adopted
by all our internal North American operations." - Paul
Quickert, Hewlett-Packard
"No.
Our distributors are independent; some sell paper, and
some don't. Some might sell recycled paper, but I don't
know for sure." - Copier Manufacturer C
"Yes.
In the U.S., Xerox offers Multipurpose Recycled paper
with 30% post-consumer waste, and several premium products,
including colored and parchment papers, designed specifically
for digital color printing applications. Our European
division provides 100% recycled content paper." - Elizabeth
Graves, EH&S Regulatory Affairs Manager, Xerox
LISTENING
STUDY: Can you tell us anything else to help us get
a clearer picture of the use of recycled in your copiers?
Have you done any tests or studies?
"We
participated in the U.S. Conference of Mayors Study,
but haven't done any studies since then. More images
are being printed on printers these days than on copiers.
People think there is recycled content in all paper,
and they think there is recycled content in all equipment,
as well. Because there are so many recovery programs
in place, they assume it's magically happening." - Paul
Quickert, Hewlett-Packard
"Our
parent company, Ricoh, has done the studies. Our internal
testing of the major recycled papers made by International
Paper or Domtar (taking into account Domtar's recent
acquisitions of Georgia Pacific, etc.) have proven them
to be good products. Some of the other products made
by other mills might not be as good." - Savin
"Xerox
measures office equipment owners' satisfaction with
corporate environmental initiatives and product environmental
attributes on an annual basis. Between 1996 and 1999,
our U.S. survey included the following question: 'Are
you satisfied with the performance of your equipment
when using recycled paper' [yes or no]? This question
was asked to owners of Xerox and competitors' equipment.
The proportion of
office equipment owners indicating that they were satisfied
with the performance of recycled paper increased by
17 percentage points over this time period, reaching
94% in 1999.
Survey background:
The Xerox survey is conducted blind (Xerox is not mentioned
as the sponsor) and by telephone. The survey sample
includes owners of office equipment (copiers, printers,
fax and multifunction equipment) randomly selected from
approximately 10 million establishments in the U.S.
market. Respondents are asked to identify one specific
brand and type of office equipment they own. All subsequent
questions pertain to the one identified product.
Findings are presented
using percentages; the total number of office equipment
owners answering the question is used as the percentage
base (i.e., "don't know" answers are excluded from the
percentage base). The sample size typically provides
a 2-3% margin of error for results." - Elizabeth
Graves, EH&S Regulatory Affairs Manager, Xerox
During
the Fall and Winter of 1998, Canon U.S.A, Hewlett-Packard,
and Lexmark evaluated three brands of 30% postconsumer
multipurpose recycled content paper, using paper with
20%-25% postconsumer and virgin fiber content as controls.
The U.S. federal Government Printing Office also tested
over a dozen brands of 30% postconsumer copy paper.
Altogether, over 2 million sheets were tested on various
types and models of copiers, laser printers, and ink
jet printers for physical properties and performance.
Tests covered paper feeding, reliability, image quality,
toner fixability, smoothness, and curl, among other
things. The 30% postconsumer studies showed equivalent
performance to 20%-25% postconsumer and virgin papers.
- "No More Excuses," National Office Paper Recycling
Project, United States Conference of Mayors
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