ECO-ASSURE™
Q&A
Q. What is the
definition of ECO-ASSURE?
A. The word ‘ECO’ can be incorporated to
mean ecological or having environmental terms.
We are using a sheet of paper that is
responsible and friendly to the environment.
‘Assure’, by definition means to make safe, give
confidence, convince, guarantee. For those
reasons the watermark in the sheet gives
assurance to the end user by visible
identification that the ballot is an original
source document, and has not been altered,
copied or reproduced in any form. This paper
further enhances the security in our ASSURE
voting solution.
Q.
Why did Premier transition to this
environmentally-responsible paper?
A. At Premier, we are dedicated to being
good stewards of the environment. Recently,
there have been many requests and some
requirements for ballot stock to be manufactured
with recycled content and not 100% virgin
fibers. We are doing our part to preserve the
environment and by using 30% post consumer waste
in our ECO-ASSURE ballot stock; we are helping
to save trees, water, energy, and cut down on
the amount of solid waste.
In addition, ECO-ASSURE is a standardized ballot
stock paper that works across many of Premier’s
systems.
Q.
Will the new ballot stock work on our
existing scanners?
A. Yes, the V4 (e) ECO-ASSURE ballot
stock can be used in ANY of Premier’s scanners,
regardless of model or age.
Q.
If I don’t print with Premier, can my
local printer get the stock?
A. Yes, customers and printers can
purchase the ECO-ASSURE ballot stock. Contact
Premier for ordering information.
Q.
Why did Premier add a watermark on
their paper?
A. In today’s technologically advanced
society, private businesses, as well as
governmental entities have a tremendous burden
to ensure the integrity and security of their
documents. Ballot stock that has a watermark
manufactured into the sheet gives the election
officials assurance that the printed ballot is
the original source document issued, and has not
been altered or copied. (Our watermark is non
reproducible and can not be digitally scanned or
photocopied.)
During an election, all election officials and
voters will be able to look at a ballot and
determine based on the watermark, if it is a
ballot issued by the election office.
Q.
What is Green Seal Certification?
A. Green Seal is a non-profit
organization devoted to environmental standard
setting, product certification, and public
education. Green Seal’s mission is to work
towards environmental sustainability by
identifying and promoting environmentally
responsible products, purchasing, and
production. Through its standard setting,
certification and education programs, Green
Seal:
- Identifies products that are designed and
manufactured in an environmentally responsible
manner;
- Offers scientific analyses to help consumers
make educated purchasing decisions regarding
environmental impacts;
- Ensures consumers that any product bearing the
Green Seal Certification Mark has earned the
right to use it; and
- Encourages manufacturers to develop new products
that are significantly less damaging to the
environment than their predecessors.
The intent of Green Seal’s environmental
requirements is to reduce, to the extent
technologically and economically feasible, the
environmental impacts associated with the
manufacture, use and disposal of products. Set
on a category-by-category basis, Environmental
Standards focus on significant opportunities to
reduce a product’s environmental impact.
Q.
What’s the difference between post-consumer
and pre-consumer recycled content?
A. Post consumer fiber is finished material made
from paper that has, been used by end-user
consumers, been diverted from landfill and
reconstituted into post-consumer recycled fiber
in a recycling mill.
Pre-consumer fiber is paper that is recovered
before it reaches the end user. Typically, this
includes converters, printers, and others who
are adding value, but are not the intended
end-user.
Q.
Is recycled paper better for the environment
than virgin paper?
A. The U.S. is the largest market for paper
products in the world, producing 90 million tons
of paper annually and, in-turn, consuming about
100 million tons. Despite improved technologies
for refining post consumer pulp, virgin fiber is
still a significant requirement, as only 35% of
current consumption is met by using recycled
fiber; in addition, approximately 25% of
recovered fiber is exported out of US markets.
Roughly 25% by volume of timber cut annually in
the US is used for paper production. The answer
is from the Forestry Stewardship Council’s (FSC)
Website: (http://www.fscus.org/paper/)
Q.
How does switching to recycled paper reduce
greenhouse gas emissions?
A. In the landfill, where 80% of discarded paper
ends up, the decomposition of paper produces
methane, a greenhouse gas with 21 times the
heat-trapping power of carbon dioxide. Paper
recycling recovers used paper from the waste
stream, directly reducing the amount of paper
placed in landfills. Thus for recycled papers,
any increase in greenhouse gas emissions during
manufacturing is more than outweighed by
reductions in emissions from landfills.
Q.
Why does using paper with recycled content
matter, and what makes recyclable paper
“earth-friendly”?
A. Rigorous scientific research supports the
benefits of recycled paper, and government
agencies, environmental groups, and many other
large purchasers have adopted policies mandating
its use. You can be assured that you are doing
the right thing for the environment by using
recycled paper and the higher the level of postconsumer recycled content, the better.
• It helps preserve forests, because it reduces
demand for wood;
• It conserves resources and generates less
pollution during manufacturing, because the
fibers have already been processed once; and
• It reduces solid waste, because it diverts
usable paper from the waste stream.
