Eco Definitions & Explanations
There is a lot of eco terminology and "greenwashing" out there, so it's important to be educated before making any decisions. Tweedle Press strives to be as responsible and sustainable as possible, following the paths of raw materials from the start and providing suggestions for after they leave my hands. We also believe in being as transparent as possible, so we disclose everything including the imperfect aspects we're still working to improve. If you ever have any questions at all beyond what is described here, please feel free to get in touch with us and we'll do our best to answer as completely as possible.Acid Free
Acid-free paper has a neutral or basic pH (7 or slightly greater). It can be made from any cellulose fiber as long as the active acid pulp is eliminated during processing. It is also lignin and sulfur free. Acid-free paper addresses the problem of preserving documents for long periods. [Source: Wikipedia]Biodegradable
Technically, biodegradable means that something is capable of being broken down into innocuous products by the action of living things (such as microorganisms). The first problem is that there are no specific standards for the "biodegradable" claim, and no official organizations exist to verify the use of the claim. According to the Federal Trade Commission, only products that contain materials that "break down and decompose into elements found in nature within a reasonably short amount of time when they are exposed to air, moisture and bacteria or other organisms" should be marketed as "biodegradable." However, the second problem is that even products appropriately labeled as biodegradable will not break down if they are buried in a landfill or are otherwise not exposed to sunlight, air and moisture, the key agents of biodegradation. [Read more here] Buying products marked "biodegradable" and sending them to a landfill doesn't do any good. It is therefore the belief of Tweedle Press that the best papers, inks, and packaging products are not only produced in a sustainable fashion, but are capable of being recycled, reused, or truly home composted afterwards with no adverse effect on the environment.Compostable
A product that is compostable is one that can be placed into a composition of decaying biodegradable materials, and eventually turn into nutrient-rich material. It is almost synonymous with "biodegradable," except it is limited to solid materials and does not refer to liquids. The EPA considers composting a form of recycling because it turns resources into a usable product. Unfortunately, this term runs into the same problem as "biodegradable" in that there are no federal regulations regarding the use of "compostable." Many "compostable" plastics and other products have been manufactured using soy, sugarcane, corn, and other materials that while technically renewable, are most often grown under unsustainable and environmentally damaging conditions. The manufacturing process itself often creates pollutants, and such products are most often not safe to compost in your own backyard (see Home Compostable). They must be taken to a municipal composting facility, which are frequently not available to a substantial majority of consumers or communities where an item is sold. [Read more here]Dioxins
Dioxins are the by-products of various industrial processes (i.e. bleaching paper pulp, and chemical and pesticide maufacture) and combustion activities (i.e. burning household trash, forest fires, and waste incineration). They are some of the most toxic chemicals known to science. Dioxins accumulate in our fatty tissues, where they may persist for months or years. Studies have shown that people who are exposed to high levels of dioxins have an increased risk of cancer, reproductive and developmental problems, heart disease, and diabetes. According to an EPA report released in 1994, not only does there appear to be no "safe" level of exposure to dioxin, but levels of dioxin and dioxin-like chemicals have been found in the general US population that are "at or near levels associated with adverse health effects." [Read more here]Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF)
Paper that is bleached using a chlorine compound, most often chlorine dioxide, that significantly reduces dioxins but does not eliminate them. Paper companies using ECF often say that dioxin is "nondetectable" in their wastewater. This refers only to the sensitivity of prescribed tests, and does not necessarily mean there are zero dioxins. State-of-the-art tests are often able to detect dioxins when prescribed tests find them nondetectable. The Worldwatch Institute (Paper Cuts, 1999) reports that a mill using standard chlorine bleaching will release about 25 tons of organochlorides (dioxins and chlorinated toxic pollutants) a day. An ECF mill will release 7-10 tons per day. Tweedle Press believe that any dioxins are too many.Some ECF mills go beyond simply bleaching with chlorine dioxide. If they have added "Extended Delignification" and do part of their processing with ozone or oxygen or other non-chlorine brighteners, they can further reduce their potential for producing dioxins. [Info from Conservatree]
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
An independent, international, environmentally and socially oriented forestry certification organization. It trains, accredits and monitors third-party certifiers around the world and works to establish international forest management standards. Although other organizations, including forest and paper associations, offer some types of certification systems, FSC is the only one that is verifiably performance-based, has widespread market acceptance, and has established credibility with the major environmental and social organizations worldwide. [Info from Conservatree]Home Compostable
This term is not very widely used yet, probably because most people have not yet learned that simply "compostable" doesn't necessarily mean you can chuck it in your backyard pile. This term also suffers from the same lack of federal regulations defining its use. The idea behind this term is a good one, though we're not sure it's really a viable avenue to pursue for most commercial products since most people don't compost at home. We're not aware of any organization that yet provides certification for home compostability, so it's our opinion that the safest products are those that can be easily and completely recycled or reused.Photopolymer
A photoplymer is a polymer that cures, or becomes solid, when exposed to light, often in the ultraviolet spectrum. This material is used as a relief plate for letterpress printing. The first step of the process is to send a final digital design to a film printer, and then the film is placed inside the platemaking machine where light shines through the film onto the photopolymer. Wherever light shines through the film (the design) the polymer hardens, and the rest is washed away leaving a plate suitable for letterpress printing.Although photopolymer plates do not require acid for etching as do metal plates, they are still not a perfect solution (we're still working on determining its exact components). Another option is for letterpress printers to use metal and/or wood type, which some do exclusively. At some point we would love to do more of this, but we don't have the space to house racks and racks of fonts at this time.
Tweedle Press uses sustainable materials to create stylish, unique paper goods:
a full service design, custom paper, and letterpress print shop.
Letterpress Wedding Invitations • Letterpress Business Cards • Handmade Paper
Letterpress Birth Announcements • Eco-Friendly Letterpress • Custom Letterpress
Corporate Event Inviations • Letterpress Stationery • Miztvah Invitations
Custom Paper Recycling • Letterpress Note Cards • Letterpress Holiday Cards
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