Want to go paperless? In today’s world, consumers are increasingly responsible for being aware of their carbon footprint and taking proactive steps to reduce it. Banking companies such as Santander say that by moving paper bank statements online, you are doing your part for a more sustainable future.
But how true is their claim? The world of paper sustainability is full of myths and mysteries. It’s easy to think of destroyed forests to create paper, but the reality is very different.
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Main Conclusion:
1. The paper industry contributes only 0.8% of total European greenhouse gas emissions, compared with 4.8% for the metals industry and 5.6% for non-metallic minerals.
2. Paper making didn’t destroy forests – in fact, between 1995 and 2020, Europe’s forests grew by 1,500 football fields a day. 93% of the withdrawn water used in the papermaking process is returned to the environment.
3. Compared with the average number of miles driven per person per year, paper consumed per person per year emits only 5.47% CO2.
4. Paper is highly recyclable – it is reused an average of 3.8 times in Europe, and 56% of the raw fibre used in the European paper industry comes from paper used for recycling.
Myth #1: To have a positive impact on the planet, you must switch to paperless communications
On the surface, it’s easy to think that paper communications will have a far greater impact on the planet than paperless communications. However, the overall environmental impact of paper spread depends on how the paper is used and reused.
In many cases, the actual impact of electronic communications on the environment is underestimated. The European Commission stated in 2020 that the ICT industry accounts for 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions (equivalent to all air traffic in the world). E-waste generated by the industry has climbed 21 percent over the past five years, and the resources needed to manage global electronic communications — such as servers and generators — are non-renewable and difficult to recycle.
If we are to consider the long-term impact of these two modes of communication, paper is both renewable and recyclable. After partnering with Two Sides, more than 750 of the world’s largest organizations have removed misleading claims that digital communications are better for the environment.
Myth 2: Paper making is a huge contributor to carbon dioxide emissions
According to the European Environment Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory, the paper, pulp and printing sector is one of the industrial sectors with the lowest emissions. In fact, companies operating in these regions account for only 0.8% of Europe’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
Europe’s metals and minerals industries contribute much more to the continent’s greenhouse gas emissions – the non-metallic mineral industry accounts for 5.6% of total emissions, while the base metals industry accounts for 4.8%. Thus, while papermaking is undoubtedly a contributor to CO2 emissions, the extent of this contribution is often exaggerated.
Myth 3: Paper making is destroying our forests
The raw materials wood fiber and pulp used in paper making are harvested from trees, leading to a widespread misconception that paper production is destroying the world’s forests. However, this is not the case. Across Europe, nearly all primary forests are protected, meaning the cycle of planting, growing and logging is tightly controlled.
In fact, forests across Europe are growing. From 2005 to 2020, European forests added 1,500 football pitches every day. Furthermore, only 13% of the world’s wood is used for paper making – the vast majority for fuel, furniture and other industries.
Myth 4: Paper making wastes a lot of water
Water is an essential ingredient in the paper making process, although its use has been drastically reduced in recent years. In the early years, paper making often used excessive amounts of water, but advances in modern paper making processes have greatly reduced this figure.
Since the 1990s, the average water absorption per ton of paper has decreased by 47%. In addition, most of the total intake used in the process is returned to the environment – 93% of the intake is reused at the paper mill, then processed and returned to the source.
This is again thanks to new developments in the production cycle – updates to filtration, settling, flotation and biological treatment processes help paper manufacturers return more water to the environment.
Myth #5: You can’t use paper in your everyday life without harming the planet
Almost everything we do increases our carbon footprint. The simple fact is that the use of paper by the average person is far less damaging to the planet than many other aspects of daily life. According to FAO’s Forest Products Yearbook, European countries use an average of 119 kilograms of paper per person per year.
An estimate by EUROGRAPH suggests that producing and consuming one ton of paper produces approximately 616 kilograms of carbon dioxide. If we use this number as a benchmark, an average person will produce 73 kg of carbon dioxide per year consuming paper (119 kg). This figure is equivalent to driving a standard car for 372 miles. Meanwhile, UK drivers drive an average of 6,800 miles a year.
So the average person’s annual paper consumption produces only 5.47% of their annual miles driven, which shows how little your paper consumption affects your driving.
Glen Eckett, Director of Marketing at Solopress, commented: “With so many businesses and companies advocating a paperless future, it seems right to dispel some myths about the paper industry. Paper is one of the most recycled products in the world, and its production and The consumption process is far more environmentally friendly than news reports believe. There is a place for both print and digital communications in the future.
Post time: Aug-18-2022