FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bates switches to chlorine-free paper

LEWISTON, Maine -- A switch to process-chlorine-free (PCF) paper means no dioxin will be released into the environment in the production of Bates College's printer/copier paper, according to Maria Libby, the college's environmental coordinator.

Bates expects to use 13,000 500-sheet reams of PCF paper in the coming fiscal year at a 6-percent increase in cost over chlorine-dioxide bleached paper, an industrial source of carcinogenic dioxin in rivers and lakes. Bates' new PCF paper, Rolland New Life DP, is 80 percent recycled, of which 60 percent is from post-consumer waste. The college's previous chlorine-processed paper was composed of 50 percent recycled fiber, of which 25 percent was from post-consumer waste.

"Maybe Bates' switch to PCF paper will inspire other organizations to do the same," said Libby. "Going green doesn't mean a sacrifice in quality or reliability, and it's a small price to pay for a healthy planet."

No old-growth forests were cut for the 20 percent virgin-fiber content of Bates' PCF paper, and all virgin fiber was harvested from sustainable growth practices, according to Archie Beaton, executive director of the Chicago-based Chlorine Free Products Association, which certifies PCF paper through independent audits of paper mills worldwide.

In May, the college's dining services department was recognized for best practices that encourage environmental sustainability by the National Awards Council for Environmental Sustainability and the President's Council on Sustainable Development.

Bates also has been recognized in "Greening the Ivory Tower," (MIT Press, 1998) a book by Sarah Hammond Creighton on best environmental practices among colleges, universities and other institutions.