New brand strikes balance between sustainability and performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Complete Office Supplies (COS) has launched a new range of office paper which it claims will significantly reduce Australia\u2019s environmental footprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018New Future Opti\u2019, supplied by global paper firm UPM and exclusive to COS, is described as being 15 per cent lighter than all other Australian office paper and is packaged in a 100 per cent recyclable wrapper, claimed to be a first in the Australian market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Belinda Lyone, general manager of COS, said: \u201cNew Future Opti will change the paper industry in Australia for the better and strikes the perfect balance between sustainability and performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMany of us are working hard towards using less paper, however the reality is that organisations and individuals are still using 200,000 tons annually. New Future Opti uses 15 per cent less \u2018paper\u2019 than its competitors, and its biodegradable plastic free wrapper can be recycled which is not the case for any other office paper product in Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe recyclable wrapper, as well as using less material to create the same product is a big step forward in the office supplies industry towards a being more environmentally responsible,\u201d Lyone said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs well as using less material to make the paper, New Future Opti is produced responsibly, its fibres come from sustainably managed forests, and it meets the industry\u2019s most demanding responsibility criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlthough New Future Opti is a lighter option, it won\u2019t cause any problems with printing or copying,\u201d she said. \u201cNew Future Opti has been tested by an independent testing facility and COS has performed blind tests with customers, who have reported no problems with using the paper.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lyone said New Future Opti will be a \u201cgood alternate choice\u201d for government agencies, who are the largest customers in office paper at COS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOn average, a government agency customer at COS uses 20 per cent more paper than a large corporate, especially if the agency is related to health,\u201d said Ms Lyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGovernment agencies in NSW purchase the most, followed by Victoria and then Western Australia. If these customers move to New Future Opti, the reduction on Australia\u2019s environmental footprint would be substantial.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCurrently one third of the paper we sell at COS is recycled. The main reason a business doesn\u2019t switch to a recycled paper is they can\u2019t afford to pay more. New Future Opti is a great alternative for this group of customers. \u201cNew Future Opti is also cost competitive, making it an affordable alternative,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to COS, a report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN, said that Australia is in the top 26 countries that have more than double the global average paper consumption per capita, coming in at 146kg per person per year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A report by the NSW Department of Environmental and Climate Change found Australians use about 1.72 million tonnes of printing and writing paper each year, equivalent to 40 million trees. It was also estimated that over 700,000 tonnes of paper and products are sent to landfill each year.<\/p>\n
