The Environmental Paper Network, a consortium of environmental advocacy groups lobbying for pulp sourced using socially and environmentally responsible methods has released a new report on The State of the Paper Industry, Monitoring the Indicators of Environmental Performance. The report outlines a Common Vision for Transforming the Paper Industry:
- Eliminate excessive and unnecessary paper consumption
- Eliminate paper manufactured solely ofvirgin fiber and fundamentally reduce reliance
on virgin tree fibers. - Maximize post-consumer recycled fiber content in all paper and paper products.
- Increase the use ofother recovered materials (e.g.,agricultural residues and
pre-consumer recycled) as a fiber source in paper. - End the use of wood fiber that threatens endangered forests and other
high conservation value ecosystems. - End the clearing of natural ecosystems and their conversion into plantations
for paper fiber. - Source any remaining virgin wood fibers for paper from independent,
third-party certified forestry operations that employ the most environmentally
and socially responsible forest management and restoration practices.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is currently the only international certification
program that comes close to meeting this goal. - Eliminate widespread use ofpesticides, herbicides and fertilizers in plantations
and fiber production. - Stop the introduction of paper fiber from genetically modified organisms,
particularly transgenic trees and plants with genes inserted from other species
ofanimals and plants. - Use alternative crops for paper if comprehensive and credible analysis indicates
that they are environmentally and socially preferable to other virgin fiber sources. - Minimize the combined impacts of water, wood and chemical usage, as well as air, water, solid waste, and thermal pollution across the entire paper productios system including: fiber production/sourcing, pulping, production, transportation, use disposal.
- Eliminate harmful pulp and paper mill discharges and the use of chlorine
compounds for bleaching.
This report is a clear example of an environmental group targeting the wasteful practices of the printing and publishing trade that Economist publisher Paul Rossi hinted at last week.
Discussion
By Ed Cobb on Oct 05, 2007
Point 2 - "Eliminate paper manufactured solely of virgin fiber and fundamentally reduce reliance on virgin tree fibers." - is wrongheaded in a way that typifies the error into which the modern green movement sometimes falls. That brand of error tends to alienate people who are in fundamental agreement with the overall goals of conservation, good stewardship and rational use of resources, and blunt the overall effectiveness of the message.
There is no good reason to stop making paper from virgin fiber. In fact, I would argue that a return to the use of more virgin fiber and a reduction in the use of fillers and chemicals in papermaking is environmentally desirable but that is a different argument.
Back to the point at hand. First, if the only paper that is manufactured employs nothing but recycled fiber, what is the logical endgame? As recycled fiber is reused it becomes weaker. Less of it is usable in papermaking. As a result, the supply will dwindle and eventually no more paper will be made because no more reusable fiber will be available. Is that result - no more paper - a desirable goal either for the communication that connects us or for the commerce that creates prosperity and enables the improvement of people's lives?
Second, trees are a RENEWABLE resource. Replant those we harvest and they will be replaced. Trees serve many purposes. Among them are beauty, photosynthesis, erosion prevention, shade, wood for shelter and furniture, and fiber for paper. All of these purposes are both legitimate and desirable.
Recycling of the wood fiber in paper is most appropriate when practiced in the hierarchical model described by one of the posts added as part of the Paul Rossi thread. It is less simple, and therefore less emotionally satisfying than issuing a decree that says no tree will again be felled to make paper. But it represents rational and balanced use of a God given resource. And rationalism and balance are what can be lacking in the simplistic appeals of the more extreme among those of us who are environmentally conscious, as we all should be.
By joe e on Oct 05, 2007
You forgot one important point:
Don't buy paper from countries like China. China hasn't any regard for thier environment. They buy raw materials from anyone without any regard for environmental & safety standards. Most of their raw materials have to be shipped in from thousands of miles.
They may claim recycled content but how can anyone verify the content?
By John Mack on Oct 05, 2007
Can anyone comment on the use of farm-raised ecaulptus fiber from an environmental standpoint - for making paper ? It seems inherently brighter and more consistance fiber, grows back on the same stump several times and I guess what you might call "tree-free" fiber?
Any comments.....JM
Discussion
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