Setting the theme of innovation and sustainability, keynote speaker Bruce Strong (CEO of Mpact) reminded delegates of the importance of the pulp and paper industry to every South African. Through the manufacture of the paper, packaging and tissue products that we each use every day, the industry makes a substantial contribution to the country’s GDP. Local pulp and paper sales of R16.35 billion and pulp and paper exports of R9.2 billion (PAMSA 2012) have helped contribute 7.7% to the Manufacturing GDP (excluding roundwood sales). Furthermore, many rural South Africans are directly or indirectly dependent upon the forestry sector for an income, the key beneficiator of which is the pulp and paper industry.

Another key discussion point at the 2013 TAPPSA National Conference was the lack of public knowledge about the unique contribution that the South African pulp and paper industry makes to the environment. It is little known that it is one of the very few industries in the world to be quantified as carbon positive – meaning that, over the entire supply chain, it absorbs more C0₂ than it releases into the atmosphere.

Beginning at its plantations, the local pulp and paper industry is inherently sustainable. As an agricultural crop, its plantations are cyclically harvested and replanted with in excess of 260 000 trees planted every day. The 762 000 hectares of forestry plantations planted for pulp and paper production act as atmospheric carbon sinks, locking up millions of tonnes of C0₂ in its paper products. Not printing an email in order to save a tree is the equivalent of not eating bread to save wheat, and is a complete fallacy – the harvesting and planting of trees plays a vital role in capturing greenhouse gases and in providing biodegradable and recyclable end-products.

Even its manufacturing processes inherently reduce global warming. As one of the largest producers of renewable biomass fuel in South Africa, the pulp and paper industry avoids the use of 1,3 million tons of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas each year, therefore reducing its carbon emissions significantly too.

In addition to its production of biomass, conference speakers discussed the opportunities offered by CoGeneration in the pulp and paper industry, the feasibility of generating income from a number of by-products and numerous exciting R&D initiatives by research centres such as Sappi Technology Centre, CSIR and the University of Stellenbosch. The conference also included presentations on energy and paper production optimisation within pulp and paper mills by international and local technology leaders Andritz, Metso, ABB, PMT, BASF and Hitachi Power Systems.

While one cannot deny the ease of digital media and electronic technology, it is essential to keep in mind that refraining from using paper products will not save the environment. Instead, the 2013 TAPPSA National Conference & Exhibition has clarified that buying local paper products will not only continue the industry’s important role in scientific research and rural employment, but that the simplest way for any one of us to contribute to reducing climate change is to use paper products.

TAPPSA is instrumental in the sharing and promotion of top technologies and technical skills across South Africa’s pulp and paper mills. For more information on TAPPSA and its activities, visit www.tappsa.co.za. To learn more about the positive contribution that the pulp and paper industry makes to South Africa, visit www.thepaperstory.co.za.

The post Embracing the positives in paper first appeared on The Paper Story (PAMSA).

The campaign features the attractiveness and sustainability of magazines and newspapers. Research by Two Sides has revealed consumers are surprised to learn that:

• Almost 70% of paper across Europe is collected and recycled. In fact it’s one of the most recycled materials of all.
• Forests in Europe, which provide wood for making into paper and many other widely used materials, are 30% larger than in 1950. In fact they’re increasing by 1.5 million football pitches every year!

Martyn Eustace, Director of Two Sides, comments, “This is a really important campaign which is urgently needed to correct consumer misunderstandings. Our research tells us that magazine and newspaper readers are unaware of the industry’s great record on recycling and that European forests, where the majority of raw material is sourced, are actually growing in size. 80% of UK consumers prefer reading from paper than reading off a screen (*) and we want to let them know the facts about the industry’s record on important environmental issues”.

Barry McIlheney, CEO of the Professional Publishers Association (PPA) states: “We live in a multi-media world and readers now look for a choice of media channels. Print is still vital for magazine publishers and offers a unique reading experience that will live on. We want to make sure that, in choosing a printed magazine, readers fully understand that print media also offers a natural reading experience and can be a sustainable way to read”.

David Newell, Director of the Newspaper Publishers Association (NPA) comments, “newspapers still dominate the news media landscape and we need to ensure that our readers understand the environmental facts concerning the paper we use. We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously and this campaign helps to get the good messages about forests and recycling into the public domain”.

The campaign will continue to run throughout 2012 and is supported by a new website, www.youlovepaper.info which sets out the environmental facts about the industry, features a fun quiz and offers the opportunity to win prizes in a ‘share your paper experience’ video competition.

* Two Sides/IPSOS research of 5000 European Consumers, September, 2001

The campaign also features  a consumer focused website: www.youlovepaper.info and a short video about “Paper and Forests”

Source: http://www.twosides.info

The post New Two Sides Campaign Targets UK Consumers – “No Wonder You Love Paper” first appeared on The Paper Story (PAMSA).

This award-winning article from Don Carli looks at digital media and compares its environmental impact against print.

His article states:

“Public opinion polls show that concern about the environment rises and falls based on the state of the economy and other factors, but concern about the negative impacts associated with using paper and printing continues to rise. Nothing captures the essence of these feelings more vividly than the signature line appearing at the foot of more and more emails: “Please consider the environment before printing this email.’”

The article says that “if you care about the environment and the health of forests you should become more informed about the energy sources used by both digital and print media.”

He concludes: “Just because we cannot see something doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. While paper mills emit visible plumes of steam and waste paper can pile up visibly in our homes and businesses, the invisible embodied energy or “grey energy” used to manufacture digital technologies and the toxic e-waste associated with electronics are largely out of sight and out of mind, but their impacts can be profound.”

Read the full article here: Is Digital Media Worse for the Environment Than Print?

Source: http://info.outputlinks.com/insights/bid/53229/One-Writer-Asks-Is-Digital-Media-Worse-for-the-Environment-Than-Print

The post Is Digital Media Worse for the Environment Than Print? first appeared on The Paper Story (PAMSA).