CHLORINE FREE PAPER

ELEMENTAL CHLORINE FREE (ECF) / TOTALLY CHLORINE FREE (TCF)

For many years virgin fiber was bleached with hypochlorite – a compound that reacts with organic materials and may produce dioxins or its pre-cursors in the reaction. Most virgin pulp mills have stopped using this chemistry and are substituting with chlorine dioxide in the bleaching stages. This virtually eliminates dioxin and its associated compounds from the waste water. This process is called Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF). Some mills are Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) meaning they bleach with oxygen, ozone or peroxide.

PROCESSED CHLORINE FREE (PCF)

The term Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) is applied only to post consumer recycled fiber. The recycled content of the paper is  unbleached or bleached without chlorine or chlorine derivatives. Any virgin material portion of the paper must be Totally Chlorine Free (TCF).