Paper
Paper
Paper selection is a critical process in book manufacturing because it can affect the visual appeal of a book as well as the weight, feel and “bulkiness”. Some characteristics that should be considered in choosing the right paper include coated & uncoated, colour, finish, opacity, weight, thickness, and being labeled environmentally friendly. Friesens has access to virtually every paper made in North America and many overseas. We stock approximately 2,000,000 pounds of “house” paper in our warehouse at all times. Our Sales Reps can help you choose the right option for your project.
Environmental Stewardship
We use a lot of paper at Friesens – about 13,000 tons of paper per year! That’s why we take steps to prevent or lessen any adverse impact that might result from our operations and products. We regularly evaluate compliance with all environmental law and regulations and introduce best practice standards throughout our firm. We have long been a steward to our environment, and we will continue to be a leader in environmental stewardship.
Forest Stewardship Council®
The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) is an international certification and labeling system for products that come from responsibly managed forests and other responsible sources.
Approximately 90% of the paper we use each year is FSC® certified – 100% of the coated paper and roughly 80% of the uncoated paper is FSC® certified. We have established an extensive Eco-Friendly Paper Stocking Program to promote and encourage the use of eco-friendly papers. In 2023, Friesens printed 2,626,000 “FSC-certified” books!
Ancient Forest Friendly™
Friesens offers Ancient Forest Friendly™ paper, which helps to reduce our carbon footprint and protect ancient and endangered forests and ecosystems. The Ancient Forest Friendly™ logo represents the highest ecological qualities in the paper industry. We are conscious of the impacts of fibre sourcing decisions on endangered species, high conservation value forests, communities and climate, in places like the Boreal, Coastal Temperate rainforests and Indonesian rainforests.
Friesens is working closely with not-for-profit Canopy on policy implementation to ensure we carefully assess our fibre sourcing to avoid ancient and endangered forest regions.
Eco-Labelling
Friesens offers three types of environmental labeling:
Eco Audit Label
Shows environmental resources saved by using post-consumer wastepaper, based on calculations by the Environmental Paper Network.
Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) Label
Promotes forests that have been certified, and the wood fiber in the paper has been tracked from a certified forest to the end user, protecting ancient forests.
Ancient Forest Friendly™ (AFF) Label
Certifies that the pulp used to make this paper is sourced from regions that do not contain any Ancient Forests. Ancient and endangered forests are defined as intact forest landscape mosaics, naturally rare forest types, forest types that have been made rare due to human activity, and/or other forests that are ecologically critical for the protection of biological diversity.