The Environmental cost of paper
Worldwide, the pulp and paper industry is the 5th largest consumer of
energy. Recycled paper uses up to 70% less energy than virgin paper, as well
as using far less water. Each Tonne of recycling saves at least 30,000 L of
water and 3000 - 4000 KWh of power ( Enough to run the average 3 bedroom house
for a year!).
Worldwide nearly 80% of the world original old growth forests have been logged
or severely degraded. The pulp and paper industry is a major contributor to
this destruction.
Interestingly, 34% of documents printed are used for less than 5 minutes, and
22% are never used.
We must "think before we print", and recycle all we can.
Paper Buyers Guide
WWF’s forests expert Jana, has put together a few tips on reducing the impact of paper use on the environment.
- Think before you print! Can you read that document on the screen and circulate it by email, instead of printing out several copies?
- Collect all waste paper for recycling.
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Use papers made from post-consumer waste
recycled fibre. Where virgin fibre is used look for the Forest Stewardship
Council (FSC) logo, to ensure your paper comes from a well-managed forest.
Tips and Tools
- Never tick the box on a form saying you would like to receive more information.
- Stick a “no junk mail” sign on your letterbox and write to people who send you junk mail asking to be removed from their database.
- Use scraps of paper for notes instead of post-its.
- Re-use envelopes by using address labels.
- Archive information electronically.
- Print double sided
- Use the blank sides of unneeded single-sided copies for printing drafts.
- Use outdated letterhead for in-house memos.
- Designate a printer for draft printing and use only used paper in its paper tray.
- Set up office systems to pass reports/magazines/newspapers around to multiple readers, rather than ordering and producing multiple copies.
- Keep paper for recycling separate from other paper supplies.
- Use thinner paper.
The thickness of paper we use makes a big difference both in terms of cost as well as the amount of paper used. You can find the reference to the thickness of paper on the package, mostly ranging from 60gsm or g/m2 (grams per square metre) to 100gsm.
Heavier weight sheets use more fibre, cost more per sheet and cost more to post. Most printers work well with 70gsm and 80gsm. Using thinner paper most often does not change the performance and can save money too.
Paper with a basis weight of
- 60gsm uses and costs 20% more than 50gsm;
- 70gsm uses and costs 15% more than 60gsm;
- 80gsm uses and costs 12% more than 70gsm;
- 100gsm uses and costs 20% more than 80gsm
Let's all do our part and buy paper with the least amount of impact on the environment!
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Take a paper cut
The way we use every day resources such as paper, contributes to our carbon footprint. So it's time to re-use, recycle and reduce the use of paper around our workplaces.
The pulp and paper industry consumes a huge amount of energy, forests and water, so by switching to recycled paper we can make real savings in energy and water use. And help save the world's remaining virgin forests.
WWF's forests expert Jana, has put together a few tips on reducing the impact of paper use on the environment.
Paper Wastage
Facts about how paper wastage contributes to your carbon footprint:
· Worldwide, the pulp and paper industry is the fifth largest industrial consumer of energy. Producing recycled paper uses up to 70% less energy than virgin paper, as well as using far less water.
· According to environmental charities, for every tonne of 100% post-consumer recycled paper purchased instead of virgin fibre paper, we save at least 30,000 litres of water and 3000 - 4000 KWh of electricity, which is enough power to run an average three bedroom house for one year.
· Nearly 80% of the world's original old growth forests have been logged or severely degraded.
34% of documents printed are used for less than 5 minutes, while 22% are never used