While buying paper “green”, the contracting authority can reduce the use of wood, reduce the emission of poisonous chemicals into water, decrease harm for the environment or danger related with the use of hazardous chemicals and energy, diminish formation of waste, and make waste management more effective. In this way contracting authorities could contribute to the solutions of the problems of global warming, increasing acidity, ozone layer thinning, and non-renewable resources consumption.

In order to achieve the above mentioned goals first of all the contracting authority could implement the policy of saving. When defining the amount of required paper, the contracting authority should think how the amount of used paper could be diminished. The need for paper can be diminished by the following management measures:

• avoiding printing and making the maximum use of electronic documents and electronic filing protocols;
• installing multifunctional devices or printers with duplex function;
• centralising printing;
• using corporate stationery as electronic templates;
• making users aware of the amounts of papers used and the possible savings.

While purchasing paper used for writing, printing, copying, and other office utensils made from paper and carton, contracting authorities can use the criteria provided by the Order No D1-697 of the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania, which came into force on January, 1 2008.

The criteria for paper can be as follows:

·        It is made from wood certified by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC) or wood certified by other equivalent systems;

·        Unbleached or bleached without chlorine: the technologies of Elemental Chlorine-Free (ECF) or Totally Chlorine-Free (TCF) are used;

·        The maximum amount of formaldehyde is 1 mg per dm²;

·        It doesn’t contain any glyoxal;

·        It contains a certain amount of recycled material;

·        It is 100 % recyclable and biodegradable;

·        The product is eco-labelled by one of the eco-labels: the EU “Flower”, the Nordic “Swan”, the German “Blauer Engel” and by other eco-label, certified by independent responsible institution, or other relevant documents proving that the product is environment-friendly, such as producer’s technical documents or report of accomplished test by notified institution, are provided.

·        It has less packaging (while buying larger amount of paper);

·        The package is labelled by one of the following labels “mobius loop”, “green dot” or equivalent.