Do you think that we are securing environment by saving paper? Do you honestly think that we are contributing to develop a healthy environment? Do you feel that we are contributing even one percent to enhance an eco-friendly environment? Or we are just talking about Save Environment to showcase we care. What’s the use of a house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?
“What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another”
-Chris Maser
Paper Manufacturing
Paper is a crushed wood made of energy, chemicals and water. In addition 
to it, most of the chemicals used in the creation of paper have detrimental effects on both the environment and us. Industrialized making of paper is de-stabilizing our earth’s climate. Reducing our use of wood will allow our forests to serve a more important role. Firstly collecting and storing carbon from the atmosphere. Secondly ameliorating the build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the resulting climate change. As a result the role of our forests in providing habitat and allowing biodiversity to thrive!
Manufacturing Statics
As per records, a tonne of new paper consumes approximately
- 20 full-grown trees
- more than 90,000 liters of water and
- around 1.2 tonnes of coal and an assortment of chemicals.
The greenhouse gas emissions of this tonne of paper are approximately 8 tonnes. An interesting fact is that if we manufacture recycled paper, we can use up to 90% less water and 50% less energy than making it from trees with a tonnes of recycled paper emitting approximately 2 tonnes of greenhouse gases.
Source: According to the Federal Government’s
Production Statics:
World production of paper and paperboard has increased dramatically since 1961, when annual production stood at 77 million tons. Production had doubled by 1978. By 1999, it had doubled again, reaching 316 million tons. In 2005, 354 million tons of paper were produced globally.
Use of recycled paper has increased at an average of about 12 per cent a year. And it reached about 46 per cent of global paper production in 2005. Excluding the use of recycled paper, paper production has steadily increased, at an average of about three million tons a year.
Meanwhile, per capita consumption of paper globally has also increased. In 1961, average global per capita paper consumption stood at 25 kilograms. In 2005, the figure was 54 kilograms.
Certainly millions of people buy newspaper daily and simply throw away in the trash can after reading it out without knowing the fact, that it take 24 tress to make one ton of newspaper.
Why Save Paper
On the basis of these facts, we say “save paper-save tree”; or write in email signature as “don’t print this mail, save tree”. Some or other way it is not completely right. Yes, it have written correctly, its acute misconception which are spreading across the system through us or media. And fact is that it portray not so good image of paper and pulp industry which is contributing to GDP of country.
We need to understand and accept the fact that paper is not only produced from forest trees, but it catered through social farm forestry where not trees grows but it grows more that cut. It also need to be understand paper is most eco-friendly of products and reusable. We do not need to dispose paper as garbage, but it should segregate for recycling. There are companies like ITC, who have set up mill which are 100% waste paper based, even to run mill they are importing waste paper from outside as well. We should contribute to spread this words as well to increase awareness among people.
Save Enviroment Summary
Paper is too valuable to be wasted. But then also people will argue that No, paper is too cheap 
and costs a few penny. If you consider, around the world paper consumption is 1 million tonnes per day. From which 93% of paper comes from tress which is known as virgin paper.
For instance around 20 Lakhs trees are cut down yearly in US for books production. And I think this numbers are huge. If it is 20 Lakhs in only one country, how much it would be if we consider the whole world?
Conclusion
Above all, we can also reduce the new paper production by digital media like e-paper, e-books, or other electronic media like tablet / readers etc. Currently, internet is available to approximately 19% of Indians.
If book publisher can release books first in electronic media rather than paper print. It will help country paper industries to increase trees and so many project like digital India, wi-fi on villages etc. are in development phase. This initiative will help this development as well.
My intention to write this article is to understand the facts, spread the reality and contribute on that for better future. Help to spread the cause and Save Environment!
