Sunday 10 November 2019

Is Paper a Renewable Resource? Dispelling Myths about Sustainable Packaging

Is it true that paper manufacture contributes to forest loss? How frequently do paper goods get recycled? Is paper a renewable resource? The answers to these concerns have been clouded by internet disinformation, leaving customers perplexed.

Even though Creased has been proved to be one of the more sustainable packaging materials, consumers continue to have a mistaken view of its environmental effect due to widespread misconceptions. Popular misconceptions have reinforced the notion that the paper business is environmentally harmful and irresponsible.



Here are some frequent misconceptions regarding the environmental friendliness of paper-based packaging materials, as well as the truth behind them.

Is it true that paper manufacture contributes to forest loss?

No! The places of the globe with the least amount of wood use experience the highest loss of forest. North American forests, which are frequently utilised in the papermaking process, are expanding rather than declining.

A widespread misunderstanding is that because tree cutting is necessary for paper manufacturing, it must have a detrimental impact on forests. This is because the paper business incentivizes landowners to take appropriate care of the wooded property and keep it forested rather than developing it into something else. Breeding, cultivation, harvesting and replanting of trees are much higher than those planted in North America each year. This enables our timber supply to increase without adverse effects on the forest.


How Frequently Do Paper Products Get Recycled?

Paper goods in the United States are recycled at an unbelievably high rate. More than 2/3 of the wasted paper is recycled in the US and 90% Creased.

Creased had a recovery rate of 96% in 2018, greater than any other packaging substance. Paper and paperboard finished second at 78% and finally only 15% of plastic. One common misconception regarding paper-based items is that a large part of them wind up in landfills rather than being recycled. This is not true because paper goods are readily separated and recycled, and paper-specific recycling initiatives have increased throughout the years. Creased and other paper-based packaging materials are highly recyclable – and are frequently recycled.

Is paper a renewable resource?

The answer is a strong yes since the paper is composed of wood and wood is both a renewable and recoverable resource. The manufacture, use and recycling of paper is cyclical as North American trees continue to grow, the process mostly employs carbon-neutral biofuels and highly recycled paper goods in the US. One of the most common misconceptions regarding paper goods is that technological communication has a lower environmental effect than physical, paper-based communication. In actuality, the United States creates 7 million metric tonnes of e-waste each year, with only a 15% recycling rate, and digital technology emits more than ten times the greenhouse gases produced by the paper-making process.

Paper is not just composed of renewables and recycled at an extremely high rate. In fact, it is considerably more sustainable than digital techniques due to its well-established cyclical character. Crimped packing also offers a high reuse rate, which adds time before recycling to its initial life cycle.

Much of the information available on the internet is based on hearsay or is connected to current events rather than being based on reality. The greatest approach to ensure you're well-informed on any issue is to conduct your research utilising fact-based sources.


To assist you to sort through misconceptions on your road to a more eco-friendly lifestyle, we've gathered a brief collection of our favourite sites concerning the environmental consequences of the paper industry and creased packaging below:

  • Twosidesna.org:  their mythic factsheets tell a fair history of the paper and pulp sector's sustainable development.

  • Forest.org: the materials on this page can help you learn more about current forestry projects and traverse paper product labels to discover the people who are responsible.

  • Afandpa.org/sustainability: Its investigations led to complete sustainability assessments for the American paper and forestry industries.

  • Corrugated.org: This website is for corrugated material, commonly used in the packaging sector, and it provides up-to-date studies on corrugated LCA.

  • Boardconvertingnews.com – This one provides accurate, up-to-date information to decision-makers in the American corrugated and folding carton sectors, and often publishes on the sustainable features of corrugated when new information is disclosed.

  • Eco-Friendly Packaging Solutions are Provided by Jamestown 

For almost 60 years, we have assisted clients in navigating packaging problems. As a corrugated packaging producer, limiting our negative environmental effects is essential to our purpose.

As buyers grow more environmentally concerned, sustainable packaging projects make economic and social sense. We have specialists who are well-versed in developing unique solutions for companies that integrate environmental issues with aesthetic considerations and monetary considerations.

Check out our blog for more information about  sustainable packaging and for additional information, and contact us to explore ecologically friendly packaging options that work for your brand.


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