Paper – a sustainable business

Leveraging the industry’s green credentials

Slide 2

Is paper on its way out?

Paper is a key driver of literacy and education, particularly in the developing world, where electronic media are often inaccessible and unaffordable

In both the developed and developing world, usage of high end paper increases as consumers become more affluent.

Paper is part of our culture and is an integral part of our everyday lives.

Definitely not!

 

So why has paper got such a bad rep?

Slide 3

Negative messaging fuels misconceptions:

Messages at the end of emails: “ Respect our Earth – please consider the environment before printing this email”

Banks and other companies urging consumers to receive statements and invoices via email rather than through the post as this ‘saves’ trees

Paper usage is associated with destruction of the world’s tropical forests, which is playing a major role in climate change and accounts for almost one-fifth of man-made greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

Some consumers believe that plastic has a much lower carbon footprint than paper

Slide 4

Responding to misconceptions: saving trees

Receiving invoices via email is more about saving money on postage costs than being green

You can’t “save” a tree any more than you can save an apple or a bunch of grapes. The plantation trees we use to make pulp and paper products are crops, like grapes. By making paper we’re adding value to the trees, just as by making wine the farmer is adding value to grapes

 

Responding to misconceptions: sustainably managed forests

Internationally recognised independently

verified forest certification systems give

consumers the assurance that the paper

products they’re buying are sourced from

sustainably managed forests and not from

endangered tropical forests

Slide 5

Responding to misconceptions: carbon footprint

How does paper’s carbon footprint compare with other materials?

There are a number of studies which show that the carbon footprint of paper is higher than that of plastic.

BUT in all of these studies it is about where you draw the boundaries and what you compare.

For example, if you conduct a lifecycle assessment of paper and plastic that includes a short time in landfill, paper will look worse, because it breaks down more quickly than plastic.

Remember also that there is no renewable energy used in the manufacturing of plastic.

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Responding to misconceptions: carbon footprint cradle to grave is a different story

Slide 7

What about electronic media?

The amount of electricity to run a computer for only five months could produce enough paper for the average person to use for an entire year

Twenty percent less CO2 is used per year by a person reading a daily printed newspaper versus a person reading web-based news for 30 minutes a day

(source: International Paper www.internationalpaper.com)

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The Stern Review: pixels vs print Source: B Cassell. APIA 2010

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AMOUNT OF CO2 GENERATED

Each copy of the

STERN REVIEW

PRINTED

85 grams

maximum

An hour reading the

STERN REVIEW

ON COMPUTER

Manufacturing the

STERN REVIEW

ON CD

Just to manufacture the

DVD

226 grams

each time

300 grams

each copy

350 grams

each copy

It’s time for some positive messaging!

The plastics and electronics industries have been marketing their green credentials very aggressively

It’s time paper companies started to do the same

We have all the green credentials in place

Slide 10

The power of paper: photosynthesis

Through the process of photosynthesis, trees absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen

Forests only contribute to net carbon emissions when biomass is harvested faster than it grows back. A sustainably managed forest is considered to be a net carbon sequester despite the removal of biomass during harvesting

If it were not for the forestry industry worldwide, the CO2 in our atmosphere would be 5% higher

Paper products ‘lock up’ carbon during their lifetime.

Slide 11

The power of paper: photosynthesis

Slide 12

The power of paper: renewability

Wood fibre is an entirely renewable resource.

• Sappi, for example, plants 1.5 seedlings for every tree harvested

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The power of paper: renewability

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Most alternatives to paper are derived from non-renewable resources :

•The average computer contains 40 mined elements which are non-renewable• Glass is manufactured from elements like silica which are mined• Plastic is generally made from polyethylyne, which is derived from gas and crude oil.

The power of paper: biodegradability

Slide 15

In sunlight, ordinary plastics do NOT biodegrade

Instead, they photodegrade, a process in which sunlight breaks down plastic into smaller and smaller pieces

It’s estimated it can take up to 1,000 years for a high-density polyethylene plastic bag to break down in the environment (ie not in a landfill)

Glass can take up to 1 million years in the natural environment and two to three times that in a landfill

The power of paper: biodegradability

Comparison of time taken to biodegrade in the natural environment http://www.worldwise.com/biodegradable.html

2 – 5 months 400 – 1 million years

Slide 16

The power of paper: renewable energy used during manufacturing

The burning of fossil fuels releases carbon

which has been locked up for millions of years

into the atmosphere, introducing ‘new’ carbon

HOWEVER

Burning renewable fuels – black liquor, sludges

and biomass – releases ‘old’ carbon which was

stored in the biomass into the atmosphere.

This process is considered to be carbon neutral –

in other words, there is no net contribution to the

global CO2 concentration

Slide 17

The power of paper: carbon contained in raw material and use of renewable energy

Paper

100% renewable – carbon neutral when burned

40% of energy used during manufacturing derived from renewable resources (paper industry globally)

Other (glass, metal, plastic)

Not renewable – increases carbon in the atmosphere when burned

0% of energy used during manufacturing derived from renewable resources

Slide 18

The power of paper: renewability, recyclability and biodegradability

Paper

100% renewable – carbon neutral when burned

100% recyclable, 58% recycling rate for paper in South Africa

Biodegrades without harming soil, water or marine life

Other (glass, metal, plastic)

0% renewable, derived from finite resources

Recycling rate for plastic and glass in South Africa approximately 24% for both

Neither plastic nor glass biodegrade readily. When plastic biodegrades, the impact on soil, water and marine life can be very damaging

Slide 19

Get the message out there!

We need to persuade consumers that paper is the responsible choice and that they should choose paper because:

Paper from reputable paper companies originates from sustainably managed forests

Paper is made from a renewable resource, is biodegradable and easily recycled

A large portion of the energy used in the manufacture of pulp and paper is renewable

Contrary to popular belief, paper’s carbon footprint is lower than plastic or pixels

Slide 20

We are in a sustainable business – let’s sell that!

“Public recognition is needed of the fact that harvesting trees does not add to CO2 emissions – that the carbon remains in harvested wood products. Investments, environmental values, public opinion, new business opportunities – all these will help society survive today’s perfect storm. The forest industries are in a better position than most.”

Teresa Presas, Managing Director Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI)

“There aren’t many industries around than can aspire to becoming genuinely sustainable. The pulp and paper industry, however, is one of them. It is inherently sustainable.”

Jonathan Porrit, Chairman UK Sustainability Commission

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