Contrary to popular belief, the use of paper is not bad nor is it in a decline. This is bad news to paperless office advocates since no alternative has yet been developed to match the versatility of paper.
An environmental misconception.
The use of paper is not bad. What is questionable is our blind and wasteful dependence on paper. The regular office personnel in the U.S. for instance consumes about 10,000 sheets of copy paper annually. That’s roughly equivalent to 20 reams of virgin office paper. Around 12 trees had be felled to produce that much volume of paper. And 50% of paper produced annually serves office printing and writing needs.
Considering that only 48% of office paper is recycled in the US, millions of trees still have to be felled annually to meet the demand. US population make up only less than 5% of global population and yet we consume 50% of the current global paper production. No wonder the paperless office movement is popular to curb paper consumption in order for our Paper Industry to be sustainable.
There is a clear connection between trees and the production of paper. Trees act as carbon sinks that absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by our planet. Any excess CO2 enters the atmosphere and results in the thinning of the ozone layer. This is a condition that weather scientists believe is now causing the world erratic weather patterns.
Putting a limit to paper consumption is good for everybody.
This is the only solution that Konica Minolta sees to address nagging environmental issues. It is a partnership with Two Sides (a non-profit organization) that advocate the responsible production, use and sustainability of paper. It argues further that trees are sustainable reserves but takes too long (about 30 years) to mature. The use of paper is not bad. To think otherwise is an environmental misconception.
Managed forests can meet the demand.
The continuing demand for paper in the US allows North American landowners and families to grow trees; instead of converting arable lands to development. The incentive is really promising as the demand does not see a slack in the foreseeable future.
Nobody can live comfortably without paper on board. Paper is not bad so it will definitely be here to stay and never diminish in importance. Anything said contrary is an environmental misconception.
