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The environmental myths of print and paper
1. Making paper destroys forests
As an industry that depends on a renewable resource for it’s operation and survival, environmental concern is at the
forefront of paper production and printing. While agriculture and domestic fuel requirements continue to be a burden on
tropical forests, accounting for almost half of the trees chopped down, our paper comes from managed Northern European
forests where the cycle of planting, growing and logging is controlled.
“The paper industry is a relatively small user of wood. Of the wood extracted from the world’s forests, 53% is used
for energy production, 28% is used by sawmills and only around 11% is used directly by the paper industry.”
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations statistics 2007
2. Paper is bad for the environment
A number of highly respected paper source certification schemes are in operation in the print and paper industry.
Fisherprint is certified to one of the main schemes, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody Certificate
The Chain of Custody is the path taken by raw materials from the forest to the consumer, including all successive stages of
processing, transformation, printing and distribution. The FSC label represents standards that consider the economic and social
aspects of forest management in order to preserve important eco-systems around the world.
“Paper is a natural and renewable crop and as young trees grow, they absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Furthermore, as a wood
product, paper continues to store carbon throughout its lifetime. A well managed used and replanted, absorbs more carbon dioxide
than a mature forest consisting of old trees.”
http://www.twosides.info 2010
3. Paper and printing consume a lot of energy
The paper industry is one of the largest users of renewable, low carbon energy. 52% of all energy used in the production of paper
is Biomass energy; produced by burning wood and waste materials from the pulping process to provide energy. Where excess energy is
produced, this is returned to the grid or used in the local community. Biomass takes carbon from the atmosphere while the forest trees
grow, and returns it when the raw material is burnt for energy. Managed this way, Biomass is totally replenishable, preserving valuable
fossil fuels. The amount of energy required to produce 200Kg of paper (the average volume used each year per person) is the same as that
used by electrical equipment on standby in the home each year.
At Fisherprint we take energy consumption very seriously. We have invested in a number of major initiatives, through the Carbon Trusts
interest free loan scheme, to maximise the efficiency of the plant in sheets printed per kWh.
4. Paper has a large carbon footprint
Paper derives from trees, the largest absorbers of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Globally, forestry is estimated to result in the
absorption of 1 billion tonnes of CO2 per year. Manufacturing 200kg of paper produces the same CO2 as a small family car produces in 600 miles
of travel. In a well-managed forest, where the growing and harvesting of trees is balanced, relative carbon neutrality can be achieved.
“Reading a newspaper can consume 20% less carbon than viewing news online.”
Swedish Royal Institute of Technology
5. Harvesting new trees to make paper is bad
Your choice of paper should include the life cycle of the paper as well as the fibre source. Every recycled paper was a virgin paper once!
There is much debate about the environmental impacts and benefits of virgin and recycled paper.
It is now widely appreciated that the amount of energy required to take waste paper back to pulp produces a significant carbon footprint that may
outweigh the environmental benefit of recycling.Furthermore, paper fibres have a limited life and virgin wood will always be required, irrespective
of the availability of recycled products
6. Printing is wasteful
The UK paper industry is a leading recycler with figures currently standing at 71%. Paper and print is one of the few materials that can be completely
recycled and paper waste is much sought after. Fisherprint waste is collected via a vacuum system directly to a compactor.
Through an approved waste contractor, Fisherprint sort and bail waste on site, enabling us to recover costs from waste paper, plastic, wood, aluminium plates
and cardboard. Investment in a state-of-the-art FOGRA 39 colour management system enables Fisherprint to reduce make-ready waste to the minimum possible.