| Does
recycling 'save 'trees? |
| The
simple answer is no. This often asked question implies that trees
are under threat from the papermaker. In fact, because the papermaker
generally uses the parts of the tree which other commercial users
(such as builders and furniture makers) can't, it is not really
appropriate to talk in terms of whole trees. The trees would still
be harvested for these other commercial users. |
| Can
we recycle forever? |
| Paper
can only be recycled approximately 4-6 times. Recycling prolongs
the life of the wood pulp fibres used to make the paper, but the
fibres themselves have a finite life, after which time their strength
and quality regenerate. Recycling will never totally eradicate
the need for virgin fibre. |
| Are
we depleting the world's forests to meet our demand for paper? |
| The
industry is very aware of the need to maintain the balance of natural
resources. Great steps have been taken to ensure that forest levels
are maintained and, as a consequence, more trees are being planted
than are being harvested. |
| What
about wildlife? |
| Every
human activity is likely to affect wildlife. A conifer forest will
support a different range of wild creatures. The forests now being
felled were planted in the 1940s after the war had revealed the
weakness of the UK being almost totally reliant on wood imports
- but even they were far from devoid of life. These forests are
being replaced today by woodlands shaped into the contours of the
landscape, allowing generous fringes of different species. They
are designed to provide habitats to encourage and expand the variety
of wildlife. |
| Does
recycling save vast amounts of energy? |
| Recycling
and papermaking are both industrial processes that are energy intensive.
In papermaking, the amount of energy needed depends on the process
used. Mechanical pulping gives a high pulp yield but energy consumption
is high. The chemical pulping process, which is used by most papermakers
worldwide, gives a lower yield but, by burning wood residues, bark
and pulping liquors, it provides steam and power which are often
in excess of the amounts needed for the pulping and papermaking
processes. In the recycling process waste paper often has to be
de-inked which is energy consuming. Therefore, rather than making
a blanket statement that recycling saves energy, the levels of
energy used or produced by each of the processes should be compared. |
| Landfill
- recycling vs incineration? |
| Secondary
uses for fibre include recycling and incineration for energy purposes.
Our preferred route is recycling, although there are practical
limits to the amount of waste paper that can be recycled. Incineration
is a preferable option to landfill, but only once recycling requirements
have been met. |
| Are
paper mills polluting river water? |
| Stringent
regulations are applied to the water which paper mills return to
rivers. Papermakers recycle the water they use and it is very often
the case that it goes back into the river cleaner than when it
came out. |
| Do
we use too much paper? |
Paper
has many natural attributes which make it a very attractive and
versatile material to use. It comes from a naturally renewable
source; it is recyclable and it is biodegradable. The amount
of paper used has certainly increased, and this is partly due
to developments in technology which have made paper suitable
for many more purposes than originally imagined. Paper plays
a very important role in everyday life. It can be easy to take
it for granted but, like all the world's resources, paper should
never be used thoughtlessly or wastefully. Common sense should
prevail: don't use more paper than you need for the purpose;
whenever possible recycle your paper once you have finished using
it.
|
