Reducing your carbon footprint and making the transition to “go green” are major priorities for preserving the environment for future generations. It may be a surprise, but a lot of the negative noise about paper’s impact on the environment is not true. In fact, the paper industry has made leaps and bounds in reducing consumption of fossil fuels.
Paper converting manufactured products can help leave a positive mark on our planet. Not only are paper products highly customizable, they are recyclable, biodegradable and often less expensive than plastic materials.
Here are three facts about paper and some of its manufacturing processes.
- There are more trees on the earth than ever before. It’s true. The paper industry actually creates forests instead of destroying them and most paper manufacturers plant four trees for every one they cut down. The Global Forest Resource Assessment says that our current tree population could last us 550 years, but most forests take a much shorter time to regenerate making our forests renewable resources indefinitely.
- Recycling paper doesn’t necessarily allow less virgin wood to be used. Recycled paper is used in a plethora of applications such as newspapers, bath tissues and product packaging. While recycling paper will extend the life of virgin fiber, it can only be recycled 5 to 7 times before wearing out completely.
- Recycled paper takes up less space in landfills. 57% of paper produced in the United States in 2008 was recovered for recycling. Only 7% of plastic was recovered. Not only is paper the most recyclable material in the market today, it’s also biodegradable.
Understanding some of the processes that a paper converting company like Oren use will help you build the confidence to make educated decisions about using paper for business needs.
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