The demand for industries to become more environmentally conscious and place sustainability at the forefront of their missions is more prevalent than ever. However, the rapidly increasing emphasis on sustainability combined with increased interest in consumer education efforts has resulted in some confusion in the marketplace.
Many people believe that digital communication is a more environmentally friendly option than paper, but that is an oversimplified, one-dimensional way of looking at a very complex issue. Print and paper products are an excellent sustainable choice for communications, marketing, information security, product transportation, and knowledge sharing. Most paper is derived from forest raw materials, and the trees that supply these materials are a natural and renewable resource that absorb and sequester carbon from the atmosphere as they grow.
A recent Two Sides survey found that Canadian consumers rank pulp and paper products as a leading cause of deforestation — which is not the case. Responsible wood, pulp and paper production actually ensures the preservation of healthy, growing forests. In fact, the Canadian Paper and Paper-based Packaging industry is one of the most sustainable industries globally. To provide clarification for the general public on related environmental topics such as forestry, greenhouse gas emissions and recycling, Two Sides has released a fact sheet from credible third-party sources on the sustainability of the Canadian Paper and Paper-based Packaging industry:
The Canadian Paper and Paper-based Packaging industry has achieved and maintained impressive sustainable goals such as being the world leader in paper and cardboard recycling. Also, forests are sustainably managed in Canada so they can continue to provide social and cultural benefits and ecosystem services, while also providing wood-based products to the market.
The forest products industry—including solid wood, pulp, paper and energy products manufacturers—takes the harvesting and regeneration of trees very seriously. The entire forest value chain has evolved over time to efficiently utilize every single part of a harvested tree. The result is an environmental/industrial relationship that produces valuable products that capture carbon and generates very little waste—all while providing wildlife habitat and protecting water quality. It is also a symbiotic relationship that, most importantly, ensures that forested lands remain as working forests for future generations.
While it is easy to get lost in the overwhelming sea of ‘information’ and opinion pieces that can be found online, it’s important to always double check that the facts are coming from credible sources. The paper industry has a number of respected certification schemes that ensure the paper we all use has come from a sustainable forest source, which will be more important in the future as we build a more sustainably-minded society.