No matter what color ink is printed on it, EarthChoice® paper is always green.

Domtar EarthChoice® is the largest family of environmentally responsible papers ever assembled.

But it’s more than just a product line. It includes a range of papers certified to the highest standard for responsible forest management in the world and designed for all kinds of end uses – from business and publishing to design and printing.

This makes EarthChoice an ideal end-to-end solution for companies looking for products that reflect their environmental and social values – and declare their commitment to sustainability for the entire world to see. But what is it, exactly, that makes these products so “green”?

First, all EarthChoice papers are certified to the standard of the Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC®), meaning that the virgin fiber used to make them is harvested from responsibly managed forests. Sustainable management practices are one of the keys to safeguarding the future of the world’s forests and one of the foundations of Domtar’s business approach. Domtar is committed to responsible fiber procurement, continuously increasing the amount of FSC certified fiber we use every year.

The amount of certified fiber Domtar purchased has increased to 21% from 13% just two years ago.¹  But our commitment to a responsible chain of custody (i.e. the path a product takes from raw material to final product) goes beyond the forest and all the way into our mills, converting centers and distribution network. Indeed, all of our facilities hold FSC Chain of Custody certification, which means that even though we don’t use only certified virgin fiber in all our papers (except for EarthChoice), we still comply with the requirements of the FSC’s Controlled Wood standard for ethical harvesting.

The second reason EarthChoice papers are so “green” is that, in addition to being made using FSC-certified virgin fiber, some of them also contain recycled fiber. In fact, Domtar used over 100 million pounds of post-consumer fiber in our products in 2009, we’re pleased to offer our customers this added environmental factor in Cougar®, the premier member of the EarthChoice family, which contains 10% post-consumer recycled content and is also available in several sizes with 30% post-consumer content. Our Lynx® Opaque Ultra is also made with 10% post-consumer fiber.

At the manufacturing level, modern papermaking practices ensure that no part of the wood harvested goes to waste. What isn’t used in actual paper production is transformed into energy that fuels the process. Domtar, for example, is 78% energy self-sufficient thanks to co-generation facilities at most of its facilities that use renewable fuels like spent cooking liquor and bark (aka biomass) to produce steam and electricity used by its mills.²

Finally, EarthChoice papers enjoy the support of two of the leading environmental organizations in the world: the Rainforest Alliance and the World Wildlife Fund - Canada.  Rainforest Alliance supports the forest management practices that go into making the Domtar EarthChoice product family, and all Domtar EarthChoice products proudly bear the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal

In fact, just about everything about Domtar EarthChoice papers is positive if you’re aim is to be “greener.”  These products are a reflection on the people and businesses that use them because they embody their corporate commitment to the environment and sustainability. They are designed to not only protect the Earth’s precious resources – but also to preserve a company’s most valuable assets: their brand, their identity and their reputation.