The State of the Paper Industry 2007 – change for sustainability needed

The State of the Paper Industry 2007 released by the Environmental Paper Network examines how the paper is made today in the face of growing environmental awareness in the US, and calls for major changes across the industry to reduce impact and increase sustainability. The need for this assessment, the group says, is that a “green wave” is sweeping North America, with ever-increasing numbers of consumers and companies seeking to address and minimize their impact on the environment. The report’s findings detail a list of negative environmental impacts, including:

• The paper industry is the fourth largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions among United States manufacturing industries.
• Paper accounts for 25% of landfill waste, the largest of any single component.
• Paper production accounts for over 40% of the world’s industrial wood harvest
• Paper production is one of the world’s largest consumers and polluters of fresh water
• Paper production continues to come into conflict with indigenous and other communities around the world over land rights, culture, human health, and livelihoods

But at the same time, the green wave cited by the report’s authors include significant opportunities for companies to embrace:

• Growing market demand for environmentally responsible paper products
• Growing acreage of Forest Stewardship Council certified sustainable forestry
• Cleaner production and alternatives to chlorine bleaching
• Increasing recovery of waste paper
• The emergence of innovative, corporate leaders.

Among the improvements the EPN would like to see from the industry are responsible, certified forestry practices, paper recyling and recovery, a move to reduce paper consumption by its customers, and a shift toward clean production that reduces bleach and toxin emissions.

By the way, paper use and disposal does have a significant climate impact. According to the report, 42% of industrial wood harvest goes to paper, a sobering fact given that trees store roughly half of all terrestrial carbon. And recycled paper saves energy: Compared to copy paper made from 100% virgin forest fibre, a copy paper made from 100% recycled content reduces total energy consumption by 44% and net greenhouse gas emissions by 38%.