MAKING PAPER DESTROYS FORESTS
The New Zealand paper industry promotes sustainable forestry and depends on sustainable forest growth to provide a reliable supply of wood fiber.
90% of deforestation is caused by unsustainable agricultural practices.
Underlying causes of deforestation, World Rainforest Movement; UN FAO, 2013; FAOSTAT, 2011.
PAPER IS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Paper is made from wood, a natural and renewable material. As young trees grow they absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. As a wood product, paper also continues to store carbon throughout its lifetime, making them effective carbon sinks. For every tonne of wood a forest produces, it removes 1.47 tonnes of CO2 from the air and replaces it with 1.07 tonnes of oxygen.
- Society of American Foresters: Managed Forests in Climate Change Policy, 2010 Arnfalk, 2010.
FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) is a stakeholder owned system for promoting responsible management of the world’s forests, with 182 million hectares of forest certified and over 27,500 Chain of Custody certificates worldwide as of April 2014.
- www.ic.fsc.org/index.htm
PAPER IS ENERGY INTENSIVE AND HAS A HIGH CARBON FOOTPRINT
Pulp Paper & Print is one of the smallest emitters of the major industry sectors on the planet, responsible for just 1.1% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
- Australasian Industry Paper Industry Association Ltd.
In a multimedia world, responsibly sourced paper and print may be the most sustainable way to communicate. Alternative media has its own impact too: One email with a 400k attachment sent to 20 people, is equivalent to burning 100w light bulb for 20 minutes.
- BBC Costing The Earth, Global Warming, 2009
PEOPLE WANT TO SWITCH TO DIGITAL
Many organisations, banks, utilities, telecoms and governments are now increasingly going online or making charges if consumers wish to receive paper-based communication. Switching to digital is not always welcome by consumers.
87% of consumers agree that the main reasons companies want to shift to electronic delivery is to save money not to be environmentally responsible.
- Two Sides and Toluna, 2013.
71% of consumers understand that paper is a renewable and recyclable product that, if responsibly produced and consumed, can be the sustainable way to communicate.
- Two Sides and Toluna, 2011 and 2013.
