Why does recycled paper matter? (in 400 words or less)

[Keaty Gross]

Paper holds a special place in our society. Whether we’re printing on it, wrapping things in it, or using it in (ahem) the loo, it’s vital to our everyday routine. It’s certainly possible to reduce our consumption of paper products, but unlikely that we could ever completely forgo its use. This poses a dilemma, because as important as paper is to our notion of civilization, forests are infinitely more valuable for their production of oxygen, sequestration of carbon, and overall contribution to the health of our planet.

Resource acquisition for virgin fiber paper takes a great toll on the ecosystem services provided by our forests. A forest area the size of 20 football fields is lost every minute to paper production, and with every lost acre of trees and accumulated biomass, we also lose an exceptionally efficient mechanism to sequester carbon. With fewer mature and old growth trees to prevent carbon from entering the atmosphere, climate change worsens. Forest destruction can be accredited with over twenty percent of global greenhouse gases.

The production of virgin fiber paper continues to drain resources, using huge amounts of energy and hundreds of hazardous chemicals. This excess further promotes climate change, as energy consumption at paper mills and chemical manufacturing also result in greenhouse gas emissions.

Yet the detrimental effect of a system based on virgin fiber paper doesn’t end with its manufacture and use, but continues through its life cycle to its ultimate disposal in either a landfill or an incinerator. Both of these “paper graveyards” have climate change impacts, as the incineration and decomposition of paper both release greenhouse gases. For instance, about forty percent of municipal landfills are made up of paper that decomposes and creates methane (a gas with 23 times the heat-trapping power of carbon dioxide).

By switching to recycled paper, we can have our metaphorical cake and print on it too. Across nearly every environmental metric, recycled paper has a smaller environmental impact than virgin fiber paper production — making a climate-friendly paper industry a desirable alternative to the extremes of acclimating to a much warmer/wetter world or quitting paper altogether.

To learn more about what a sustainable paper production and reclamation system would look like, please read the RePaper Project's discussion paper, Reimagining Paper in the 21st Century or contact Better Paper Project Director Frank Locantore at [e-mail].

Resources

Bronx Ecology, 2002
Paper Task Force Report, 1995
Reimagining Paper in the 21st Century, 2008
Science, 2000