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Use Paper. Responsibly.

Today’s forest industry is working hard to become one of the greenest on Earth. What other industry plants 600 million trees every year, and that’s just in Canada.

Source: Metafore and Domtar, Buntin Reid 2010 calendar. In the U.S., 1.7 million trees are planted every day by the forest products industry, with the result that U.S. forestland coverage has increased 12 million acres since 1989. U.S. forest growth has exceeded harvests since the 1940s. Source: American Forest and Paper Association.

What other industry actually grows more of its main resource than it consumes.

Source: NewPage “This is Ed, #13 Balance, 2009”: “In most of Europe and North America, paper manufacturers have long replaced the trees they harvested. And for every tree that is harvested in a managed forest, several more are planted or generated naturally.”

What other industry generates most of its own energy needs from renewable resources, including waste biomass, biogas, hydro and wind.

Source: Many mills burn unused tree biomass to help fuel production. About 56% of fuel for paper industry co-generation plants comes from wood waste (NewPage). Cascades Fine Paper in Quebec uses waste biomass from a local landfill to fuel its mill. For decades, even centuries, paper mills have built hydro dams to generate their own renewable energy source. Some mill such as Mohawk are now purchasing energy supply from wind turbines.

The U.S. Dept of Energy predicts energy consumption at U.S. data centers (server farms) will increase 75% between 2006 and 2011. Meanwhile, the paper industry has reduced its energy use per product unit 42% in the last 25 years (NewPage.)

What other industry uses a renewable resource and recycled stock as its main ingredients. What other industry has worked harder on improving its environmental performance with partners and advocates including governments, customers and environmental groups.

Source: The paper industry has worked with forest certification bodies and environmental groups around the world. A short list includes the Forest Stewardship Council, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes, Canopy, World Wildlife Fund, Nature Conservancy and Sierra Club. In addition, the paper industry continues to change many practices to more environmentally friendly choices, such as the adoption of elemental chlorine-free bleaching

Deforestation is a real threat that requires action by the paper industry. But paper production is not the leading cause of deforestation. Depending on the region, agriculture, human expansion (roads, etc.), fuelwood, and cattle ranching, among other uses, are the leading causes of deforestation. (UN Food and Agriculture Organization.)

Paper is an essential part of human civilization. Today’s paper companies are active stewards of the forest because it’s in their best interests.

Sources: In 2007, Finch Paper sold its forestland in the Adirondack forest in New York State to The Nature Conservancy. The environmental group then hired Finch’s foresters to manage the land in a sustainable manner. In 2009, forest companies operating in the world's largest intact tract of coastal temperate rainforest took the next step in gaining marketplace recognition for their products. Already signatories to the internationally renowned Great Bear Rainforest Agreement, Western Forest Products, Interfor and BC Timber Sales, supported by pulp and paper producers Catalyst Paper and Howe Sound Pulp and Paper (partly owned by Canfor) have gained Forest Stewardship Council Certification (FSC). These agreements represent the future of the forestry industry.

While we all use and depend on electronic communications, it’s easy to ignore that it comes at an environmental cost. Worldwide spam email traffic creates greenhouse gases equivalent to burning two billion gallons of gasoline yearly, with numbers rising.

Source: ICF International, McAfee, Inc.

More than 200 million items of toxic e-waste are thrown away every year in the U.S., with a recycling rate of only 18% compared to 57% for paper.

Source: NewPage “This is Ed: #13, Balance.” Also, only 7% of plastic is recycled.

Americans toss a total of 480,000 toxic computers and cell phones every day.

Source: Time.com

No industry is perfect. But the paper industry has made, and continues to make, huge investments in environmental responsibility. Specifying and buying paper from certified sources ensures the continuation and growth of carbon-absorbing forests. Using paper with appropriate amounts of recycled fibre helps preserve forests even more, conserves energy, and maximizes fibre usage through paper lifecycles.

Source: Pulp made from recycled paper produces 51% less emissions that pulp made from virgin fibre (Cascades Fine Paper). One ton of recycled paper saves approximately 17 trees (Conservatree.org). Fibre can be recycled at least five times (NewPage).

Paper is a powerful communications medium. Use paper. Responsibly.
And recycle all the paper that you use.

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