Listen up local St. Neots Business, as here are the facts about printing and paper consumption!!
The main constituent of paper is cellulose fibre which generally comes from trees, but this doesn't automatically equate to the destruction of forests. Papermaking and other industries that depend on trees need thriving forests. It's in their interest. In managed forests, for every tree cut down, three to four are replanted in its place. It's estimated that there are 25% more trees in the developed world today than there were in 1901, and in Europe alone, forests are increasing annually by an area equivalent to more than 1.5 million football pitches.
There have been, and continue to be in some tropical countries, issues over land rights and natural forest conversion to industrial plantations which are cause for concern to the paper industry, NGOs and consumers alike.
In northern Europe, where almost all ancient forests are protected, paper comes from managed semi-natural forests where the cycle of planting, growing and logging is carefully controlled. Even in countries where natural forests are used, like Russia and Canada, logging accounts for only a tiny share of the annual tree growth.
The Paper industry is a relatively small user of wood
Of the wood extracted from the world's forests, 53% is used for energy production, 28% is used by sawmills, and around 11% is used directly by the paper industry
FAOSTAT, 2007
"Forestry, paper and packaging are among the most sustainable industries in existence"
One of the many unique things about paper is that its main raw material, is renewable. Combined with the sustainable way that European forests are managed, this means that 33% more new trees grow in Europe each year than are felled.
