As New Zealanders, protection of the environment is more important than ever if we wish to maintain the pristine and beautiful country we live in. More and more customers are aware of the issues affecting the environment and their purchasing decisions. They're looking for like-minded businesses to provide reassurance that their product and services are environmentally friendly.
Today’s paper industry is one of the most sustainable industries in the world. Wood for paper making is sourced from well-managed forests, where far more trees are planted than are cut down. And the paper industry is leading the way in its development of sustainable manufacturing practices.
What’s more, the tree farms planted and tended by the timber and paper industries act as vast carbon sinks that help repair the environmental damage caused by other industries.
"There aren't many industries around that can aspire to becoming genuinely sustainable. The paper industry, however, is one of them. It is inherently sustainable."
- Jonathan Porritt, Chairman UK Sustainability Development Commission and Founder of Forum for the Future.
The Facts
Paper is an amazing product. As well as being beautiful, practical and versatile, it has exceptional environmental credentials. It's biodegradable and recyclable. It's made from an infinitely renewable resource and is sustainably produced.
- Reading a newspaper can consume 20% less carbon than viewing news online - Swedish Royal Institute for Technology.
- 64% of consumers pay more attention to print ads than online advertising.
- Around 50% of paper is recovered and fed back into the paper making process worldwide. In New Zealand this figure is 78%, the highest in the world.
- The world's forested surface is increasing by around 340,000 hectares a year.
- It is estimated that there are 25% more trees in the developed world today than at the beginning of the 20th century.
- If a tree is cut down in a sustainable tree farm, 3-4 new trees are planted.
- For every tonne of wood produced by a tree, 1.5 tonnes of carbon are taken out of the atmosphere.
- Print what you want, when you want it: no ordering 1500 & only using 900. Print on demand reduces the need for storage, saving space and resources as well as reducing the possibility of stock becoming out-dated.
- Energy-efficient: Wood and wood products require relatively less energy to extract and harvest than other resources.
- No waste by-product: The use of wood and forest-based products has the potential to generate no waste. It is possible to use the entire resource.
- PEFC and FSC certified paper - companies ensuring the sustainability of the forest industry.