Eco-Friendly Products

The production and disposal of paper products places several burdens on the environment. Deforestation, air and water pollution from pulp mills, high energy and water use in production and recycling, and consumption of landfill space are notable environmental issues that arise from paper use. We can mitigate these problems both by reducing the amount of paper we consume and by making informed choices about what kinds of paper we buy. Using reusable bags instead of paper (or plastic) bags, using cloth napkins and towels, and purchasing products made from recycled paper are a few examples of simple changes we can make.

Reducing and reusing paper products are essential in curbing our negative impact on the environment. It sounds obvious, but how many of us automatically reach for paper towels to clean up a spill when we could use a dish towel, or take a fresh sheet of paper to write a grocery list when we could use the back of a receipt lying on the table? Taken together, these seemingly trivial choices create habits and trends that have large-scale impacts.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, paper made up the largest share of municipal solid waste in 2006 at 34%. While about half of paper waste is recovered for recycling or compost, the other half ends up in landfills, where it does not readily decompose. Recycling alone is also not a cure-all; the recycling process as well as production from virgin pulp uses water, energy and chemicals. According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), paper mills use 40% less energy to produce paper from recycled material than from fresh lumber, but may use more fossil fuels for recycled paper than for that made from virgin fiber. According to the EIA, recycling also uses fewer chemicals than ordinary paper production, and naturally does not pose the same threat to forests. While recycling paper that we can no longer reuse and purchasing recycled paper products can lighten our ecological footprint, reducing and reusing should not be forgotten. Investing in durable reusable grocery bags can help us remember to avoid paper bags when shopping.

The bleached paper towels and office paper we buy usually depend on chlorine for the bleaching process, which produce organochlorines such as dioxin. These are highly toxic pollutants that can cause hormone disruption, birth defects and cancer in humans. Pulp mills release organochlorines as effluent into waterways, polluting water and damaging the organisms that depend on it. Pulp and paper mills release several other air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulates. In addition to being one of the largest industrial polluters in North America, the paper industry also uses a great deal of energy and water. Purchasing bleach-free and recycled paper products, as well as reducing our paper consumption, using reusable shopping bags instead of paper and reusing paper when we can, are several ways we can ease this environmental burden.

Deforestation is another environmental harm following from paper production. While some pulp mills produce virgin pulp using wood chips from tree farms rather than from forests, others use wood chips obtained through logging in old-growth forests such as the boreal forests of Canada and the rainforests of Sumatra. Deforestation is a problem because it contributes to species loss and global warming, as forests both provide habitats and absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, one third of all wood harvested in the US is used for paper production. Organizations such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) monitor forests and the logging activities of paper companies to ensure sustainable practices. The FSC certifies paper and other wood-based products that meet its certification standards.