PRINT & PAPER myths and facts
The Myth!
Planted forests are bad for the environment
The Fact!
Well-managed planted forests reduce the pressure on natural forests and can provide many other environmental benefits
"Between 2005 and 2015, European forests grew by 44,000 Square Kilometres - that’s an area bigger than Switzerland and amounts to over 1,500 football pitches everyday!" (FAO data, 2005-2015)
"50% of the world’s wood harvest is used for energy and 28% for construction. There are some other uses but paper only directly takes 13%" (Derived from FAOSTAT, 2015)
“The most common pressures causing deforestation and severe forest degradation are: large and small-scale agriculture; unsustainable logging; mining; infrastructure projects; and increased fire incidence and intensity” (WWF Living Forests Report Chapter 5: Saving Forests at Risk, 2015)
“Planted forests can be environmentally sound sources of renewable energy and industrial raw material.” (WWF, Living Forest Report, 2012, Ch 4)
The Myth!
Paper is bad for the environment
The Fact!
Paper is one of the few truly sustainable products
"The paper, pulp and print sector is one of the lowest industrial emitters of greenhouse gasses, accounting for 1% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emission." (Ecofys, 2013)
"The environmental impact of our personal paper consumption may not be as high as you think either. In Europe, we each use 156 kg of paper every year.i This amount of paper produces 100 kg of CO2 ii which is equal to driving 500 miles in the average European car.iii By buying paper from sustainably managed forests and always recycling, we really do not have to feel guilty about using this natural and renewable product." (The Swedish Forest Industries, 2013 ii EURO-GRAPH Statistic iii European Commission, 2015
The Myth
“If compared with the electricity demand of countries in the same year, the cloud would rank 6th in the world, with demand expected to increase 63% by 2020.” (Greenpeace, 2014)
"Each year, the electronic industry - one of the world’s largest and fastest growing - generates up to 41 million tonnes of e-waste from goods such as computers and smart phones." (United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 2015)
