Why It’s OK to Use Paper
November 25, 2016
Considering that our name is Papersavers, you might not expect us to tell you ’g ahead, use paper’. Of course, we would never encourage the wasteful use of paper. And we always encourage everyone to recycle paper as much as possible.
But it’s also important to know that the idea of using a piece of paper somehow deforests the land is becoming obsolete. And that’s in large part because of everyone’s recycling efforts.
Today, there are really two major sources for paper: traditional wood pul that comes from tress, and recycled paper. While it’s fairly difficult to get away from the notion that reducing paper consumption means saving trees, it’s an over-simplification of what’s really happening in the pulp and paper industries.
Here are just a few current facts about forests, forest products, paper and paper recycling:
- Forest products in Canada, including paper, are made from natural, renewable raw materials: wood from sustainably managed North American forests
- There are more trees in North America today than there were 100 years ago
- We plant more trees in Canada and the U.S. than we harvest every year
- Most trees harvested from sustainably managed forest are not used to make paper. Less than 36% of the annual North American lumber harvest is used directly for making paper
- The pulpwood trees used to make paper are grown and harvested specifically to make pulp and paper. They are unsuitable for lumber manufacturing
- The share of recovered paper used in papermaking is expected to reach almost 40% in North America by 2030.
Paper can be recycled five to seven times before the wood fibres break down and are no longer suitable for recycling. Fresh wood fibre from sustainable forests is crucial for the maintenance of healthy paper recycling programs.
Paper is one of the most recycled and recyclable materials in the world. By using paper responsibly, you are helping to maintain a healthy, sustainable process that protects our forests.
