The Upside of Paper

Have you ever wondered what it would be like, if instead of using paper – you were paper? It’s a crazy thought. Would you end up in the landfills, or continue getting used and recycled for many years to come? The answer may surprise you.

Since paper is one of the few truly sustainable  products on earth, and requires little to no fossil fuels  for production, you would likely have a very long life. And that process would start with a tree.  

Living among the Trees

Your life, as a piece of paper, would start with the trees. In the forest, you would grow and wait to be harvested. But don’t worry, you wouldn’t be alone. The United States grows more trees than they harvest, with the U.S. forestland remaining about the same over the past 100 years – even though the American population has tripled.

After years of growth, and watching landowners manage the forest responsibility, you’d likely move away from the forest. The transformation from tree to paper would begin.

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The Next Stage

Eventually, you’d end up in a pulp mill, which would transform you from a tree into paper products. From there, you’d travel to a store, and then someone’s home or office. But don’t despair, your story doesn’t end here. About 57.4 percent of all paper products consumed in the U.S. are recovered for recycling, which is nearly 340 pounds for each man, woman and child.

So, more than likely, your journey would continue.  

And that continuation would begin at a recycled paper processing mill, where you would be converted into new paper products, made from the recovered fiber. Fiber can be used 5-7 times before it becomes too short, so you’d continue this process for quite a while.

Forest Responsibility

Ok, so you like being paper. But not all of your friends back in the forest want the same career choice. Some want to house bird nests, and homes for wild animals. Rest assured, that forest responsibility, which makes forestlands subject to government regulations – is keeping many of those trees healthy and rooted in the ground. In fact, the industry has taken these regulations a step further to promote responsible forest management.

For example, Forest Management Certification, is a non-regularity alterative that promotes the responsible stewardship of forests. The program provides a private incentive to encourage land owners to use responsible forest management practices that benefit the environment and society.

To qualify, the forest manager must undergo a rigorous process to ensure the forestland conforms to regulations, which includes a detailed review of the forest management systems and their results on the ground. Every five years, this process is repeated.

So overall, the life of paper is long, made from renewable resources, and usually produced responsibly. This gives paper many advantages over nonrenewable alternative materials.

What do you think about paper and the environment? 
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