Breast Cancer and Copy Paper: Connecting the Dots

Oct. 7, 2011

Connecting the Dots: 
Breast Cancer and Office Paper

For many, October marks the end of summer, the beginning of numerous holidays, and of course, good food. But, did you know that October also marks the 25th anniversary of Breast Cancer Awareness Month? According to the Breast Cancer Fund, breast cancer impacts the lives of nearly one in seven women in the U.S. annually, and has increased in men by 25% in the last quarter century alone.

At this point, you are probably asking what breast cancer has to do with Dolphin Blue, a provider of eco-friendly office supplies. Well the answer is simple. Everything. In fact, you’d be alarmed to see the relationship between cancer and toxic chemicals used in most copy and printing papers.

Paper mills, for instance, often mix toxic chemicals together when bleaching their products with chlorine to make it white. The result of this combination is dioxin, a human carcinogen that has impacted places like Times Beach and Love Canal. 

According to Jeffrey Hollender, President of Seventh Generation, and author of Putting the Breast Cancer/Chlorine Connection on Paper:

"The typical paper mill produces about 14 lbs. of organochlorine pollution per ton of paper bleached. That may not seem like much until I tell you that organochlorines and dioxins are some of the most toxic substances ever created…Linked not only with cancer but with birth defects and other maladies, TCDD is the most dangerous compound in the most hazardous family of chemicals around, a family whose members are often harmful at levels hundreds of thousands of times lower than most other chemicals. Given a choice between sitting in a room with 14 lbs. of organochlorines and 14 tons of almost anything else, I’ll pick the anything else every time.” 

We couldn’t agree more. That’s why Dolphin Blue provides office supplies including planners, calendars, desk pads, copy paper, business cards, envelopes, and letterhead that are processed chlorine free, and made in the USA from the highest amount of post-consumer recycled content attainable.  
As a trusted provider of eco-friendly offices supplies, we realize that many consumers are unaware of the health consequences of bleached paper, so we strive to offer as many chlorine free products as possible. In honor of the 25th anniversary of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we encourage you to go chlorine free. You’ll notice no difference in quality, and will be doing yourself, our planet, and your loved ones a huge favor.