Two Sides

In recent years, paper has been the target of negative and often misinformed environmental criticism with arguments relating to shrinking forests, excessive energy consumption and overflowing landfill sites.

The truth is that paper doesn't have to cost the earth! Indeed, its manufacture involves the use of trees, its production consumes a large amount of energy and, as a waste product, it can contribute to landfill; but paper is also one of the few truly renewable and recyclable raw materials that we have. In fact woodfree pulp manufacturing in particular produces net energy. A combustible fuel is produced as a bi product from the pulp production process and this is used to generate energy to power nearby paper production or to provide domestic use for a local community. A renewable, non fossil fuel!

Wood fibre has the opportunity to renew itself naturally and to be reused often, so despite the barrage of criticism, there are two sides to paper and it does have a strong environmental story to tell.

The National Association of Paper Merchants (NAPM) has launched 'Two Sides', an initiative to dispel the myths and present the real facts about paper and its environmental impact.