The Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) shares the reasons why paper is good for us, our economy and our environment.

1. It’s versatile

Paper is categorised into three principal types – printing and writing, packaging and tissue – and chances are that we use each kind every day.

Paper in its most common form – white copy paper – could be the start of something, a blank canvas, a new project or design, your first book. A variety of printing and writing papers help to communicate and inform through news and advertising, the label on the coffee jar, the medicine box insert and the month-end supermarket specials. Paper also educates – from your child’s first reader to their last matric exam.

Paper packages and protects. From our eggs, teabags and cereal, milk and juice in cartons, to medicine and cosmetics. And let’s not forget that new computer equipment for the office or your online shopping order.

From the bestseller of your favourite author to a night at the movies with popcorn, a drink and a box of chocolates, paper entertains.

Facial and toilet tissue, kitchen towel and baby and feminine products help to improve our lives through convenience and hygiene.

2. It’s renewable

In South Africa, paper is produced from farmed trees. Some 850 million trees are grown over 676,000 hectares for the very purpose of making pulp and paper.

“If it wasn’t for commercially grown trees, our indigenous forests would have been eradicated years ago to meet our fibre, fuel and furniture needs,” explains PAMSA executive director Jane Molony. “Sustainable, commercial forests have a vital role to play in curbing deforestation and mitigating climate change.”

As with most agricultural crops, trees are planted in rotation. Once mature – after seven to 11 years, they are harvested. However, only 9-10% of the total plantation area is felled annually. New saplings are planted in the same year, at an average rate of 320,000 new trees per day, or one-and-a-half saplings per harvested tree. This is what makes the paper we source from wood renewable.

3. It’s recyclable

Recovered paper – the paper and cardboard from our recycling bins – is a valuable raw material and South Africa has been using it as an alternative fibre in papermaking since 1920.

Given that land suitable for the commercial growing of trees is limited, virgin fibre is supplemented with recovered paper. On the other hand, an injection of virgin fibre is also needed in the papermaking process because paper fibres shorten and weaken each time they are recycled.

In 2019, 68.5% of recoverable paper was collected for recycling – recoverable paper excludes the likes of books and archived records, and items that are contaminated or destroyed when used, like tissue hygiene products and cigarette paper.

4.  It’s good for the environment

Working forests provide clean air, clean water and the managed conservation of wetlands, grasslands and biodiversity.

Farmed trees are efficient carbon sinks. Every year, South Africa’s commercial forests are estimated to capture 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gases, in turn releasing 15 million tonnes of life-giving oxygen…. Memory jog back to that primary school science lesson on photosynthesis.

The carbon remains locked up even after the wood is chipped, pulped and made into the many items we use every day. This is a good reason to recycle as it keeps this carbon locked up for even longer. Sent to landfill, paper will naturally degrade along with wet waste and add to unnecessary emissions.

Recycling is a space saver too: one tonne of paper saves three cubic metres of landfill space – and the associated costs. The 1.2 million tonnes of recyclable paper and paper packaging diverted from landfill in 2019.

1.2 million tonnes of recyclable paper products diverted from landfill during 2019, if baled, would stretch 1 400km if the bales were laid end to end, fill 1 442 Olympic swimming pools or cover 219 soccer pitches. More importantly, this recovered paper saved 3.6 million cubic metres of landfill space.

5.         It’s good for the economy

Not only does pulp and paper production add billions to the South African economy annually, the growing and harvesting of trees, the making of paper products and recycling them provides sustainable jobs for thousands of people.

Let’s not forget the jobs of engineers and researchers who design advanced technologies and processes that make pulping, papermaking and paper recycling more energy and water-efficient, and the artisans and operators that keep paper production moving.

Add to this the downstream value chains which rely on paper to produce their products, including printing and publishing, media, and advertising, and the myriad sectors which use paper-based packaging to protect their goods during transit.

Any which way you look at it, paper, tissue and paper-based packaging are essential, and this is a good thing – for our economy and for our environment,” says Molony. “Invented some 2,000 years ago, paper is one of the oldest ‘technologies’ with research, development and innovation continuing the world over to make more efficient use of trees, recycled paper, water and energy. Paper is a great story.

Paper is versatile – it\’s used in boxes, notebooks and tissue.

Paper is renewable, as it\’s made from the wood fibre of farmed trees.

Paper is recyclable, and we can make loads of new products with old paper.

Paper is good for the environment as working forests provide clean air, clean water and many environmental services such as biodiversity and wetland conservation.

Paper is good for the economy through the provision of jobs and contributing significantly to the GDP.

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We are well into the age of technology, living an always-on, always-connected lifestyle. But just as we still have bicycles among motor vehicles and pencils in our pen holder, paper will always be close to our computers and smart phones.  

With Earth Day on 22 April and World Book Day on 23 April, the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) is highlighting the importance of paper in our lives and environment, and calling on us to put down our phones and pick up a book.

Imagine a world without paper

Can you think about what that would mean?

Think about your bedside table, the doctor’s waiting room or your handbag. There would be no books, magazines and to-do lists on the back of old envelopes.

Open your kitchen cupboard – there would be no paper packaging nor labels, no kitchen towel, no milk and juice cartons.

A world without paper would also mean no toilet paper or tissues.

If you’re a teacher, look around your classroom. Take note of everything that is there from posters to artwork and assessments; egg boxes and cereal boxes waiting to be transformed into something creative; tissue boxes too. These would not be there if it were not for paper.

Paper serves many needs

Paper is essential, and often hidden in plain sight. It cleans, wipes and mops up spills. It protects goods on their journey from A to B, from cornflakes to computers.

It preserves our words and memories when we print photos, write a birthday card or proudly display our child’s first stick man painting for all to see.

It conveys and communicates. Paper is tactile and stimulates our senses. The act of turning pages and taking in the words without the distraction of pop-ads and fake news cannot be undervalued.

Paper is better for our brains too

Researchers and neuroscientists are discovering that our brains prefer paper. We are able to navigate the content more easily.

We understand and remember things better if we read them in print as opposed to reading on screen. It uses less cognitive resources and energy (both our own, and the electricity to keep our screens alight).

Paper-based reading allows for better mental mapping, helping us remember where things are on a page or in the book.

(SIDE NOTE: This article was proofread a few times on screen. It was only when we printed it out that we found more grammar gremlins!)

PAMSA’s five ways to pick paper over digital on Earth Day and/or World Book Day:

1. Make at least one of the days a no-tech day – keep the TV off, put tablets and phones away and dust off the Scrabble or Snakes and Ladders. Or make a fort with a sheet and pillows, grab a box of biscuits and read stories to your little ones.
2. Buy a paper book for someone else, or simply share one from your own bookshelf.
3. Write a list of five books you want to read and by when.
4. Explore an encyclopedia or atlas with your children, or if the weather’s good, get out and teach them to use a paper map, if you even remember!
5. Make a habit of no phones or tablets before bedtime. Put your phone to bed one or two hours before you turn in. Reading a book will wind down your mind.

Paper is better for the environment too

Paper doesn’t need to be charged or use wi-fi. It’s renewable – made from farmed trees which have absorbed carbon and released oxygen. More trees have been planted to replace the ones that were made into paper.

Paper is also recyclable, keeping valuable raw material out of our landfills for use in paper stuff we use every day.

In fact, paper is just remarkable when you think about its place and purpose in our lives.

Follow PAMSA on Instagram @paperrocksza or visit www.thepaperstory.co.za

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AF&PA Blog by Matiiapa Chindori-Chininga Coordinator, Paper Group

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The uMfolozi Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College,  Fibre Processing and Manufacturing (FP&M) Seta and the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) open Pulp and Paper Centre of Excellence

On Thursday, 31 August  2017 the uMfolozi TVET College, the FP&M Seta and the Paper Manufacturing Association of South Africa hosted the official opening of the Pulp and Paper Centre of Excellence in Mandeni, KwaZulu-Natal.

The facility will function primarily as a hub for local Pulp and Paper industry initiatives and as a central point for industry employees enrolled in the Pulp and Paper Occupational Programme (PPOP). It will not only serve as an ideal training venue but will provide space for study groups, seminars and meetings.

College deputy-principal Elsie du Toit described how the centre had been born out of efforts to deliver development opportunities for all involved in the paper industry. This includes, in particular, PPOP participants wishing to study further in their respective fields. Describing the project as a ‘true example of partnership between training institution and industry’, she outlined  some of the activities it will facilitate.

These include the research, workplace integrated learning, the administration and management of the PPOP, stakeholder liaison, academic support, and a platform to build partnerships with other TVET colleges and academic institutions.

FP&M Seta CEO Felleng Yende told the gathering that the centre would serve as focus point for PPOP projects which have already been funded to the tune of R3.25 million since 2015.

“Today I can proudly say that more than 300 people have registered and are training to receive the National [Vocational] Certificate in Pulp and Paper.”

She went on to say that despite the advent of the digital era, paper still plays a major role in our daily lives. “For decades, the paper manufacturing industry has contributed greatly to South Africa’s economy, and having been ranked as one of the largest producers of pulp and paper in the world, this industry continues to benefit our people tremendously.”

Ursula Henneberry, operations director of the Paper Recycling Association of South Africa (RecyclePaperZA), reiterated the importance of education, not only for individual development but for the economy and society as a whole.

“The Pulp and Paper Centre of Excellence showcases collaboration, partnership and the goal of excellence in education and makes access to education for current and future industry employees easier. It gives them a place to learn, to grow and to excel.“

The ever growing importance of recycling as a supplier of fibre to the paper-making industry is underlined by the fact that The Paper Recycling Association Of South Africa (RecyclePaperZA) has trained more than 5,000 people through its entrepreneurship courses and enjoys the full collaboration and support of the FP&M Seta.

The Paper Recycling Association Of South Africa

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On July 25th, Mpact opened its liquid packaging recycling plant at the company’s Springs paper mill. The company held an on-site ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning, with Minister Dr. Edna Molewa, the Minister of Environmental Affairs, as well as other national and local government officials in attendance.

The R46 million project is expected to recycle approximately 25,000 tonnes per year of liquid packaging products, which until now has seen limited beneficiation in South Africa.  

SA’s paper recovery rate well above global average

The recovery rate of all paper grades available for recycling in South Africa was approximately 68% in 2016, representing 1,4 million tonnes of the approximately 2,0 million tonnes of paper. However, when it comes to paper packaging grades, this number is estimated to be well over 80%.

Bruce Strong, CEO of Mpact Limited explains, “Paper recycling rates in South Africa are well ahead of the global recovery rates, and comparable to many first world countries, and we can be very proud of that. The key to this level of recycling is the demand for recyclable products from paper manufacturers. In Mpact’s case, this demand comes through innovative projects and investments, such as the liquid packaging recycling plant being unveiled today.”

With traditional sources of recovered paper in South Africa in short supply mainly due to increased demand from paper manufacturers both locally and abroad, the recovered paper from the liquid packaging products processed at this plant provide Mpact with an alternative source of high quality recycled fibre which is currently being landfilled.

In 2016, Mpact recovered approximately 560,000 tonnes of recyclable paper fibre. Mpact will recycle an additional 120,000 tonnes by 2018 off the back of the liquid packaging recycling plant as well as the recently upgraded Felixton paper mill, which is now using 100% recovered paper fibre as raw material.

These projects and other initiatives by Mpact Recycling represent the next stage of increasing the paper recycling rate, which will take South Africa’s paper recovery rates to another level.

“Other than sustained demand, cost effective collection and the aggregation of recyclables for beneficiation is critical in maintaining high levels of recycling. We believe this is best achieved through public–private partnerships and real interventions on the ground, rather than punitive taxes,” continued Strong.

Celebrating recycling

Samantha Choles, Communications Representative from Paper Recycling Association of South Africa, added her voice in support of Mpact’s liquid packaging recycling plant, saying, “Today is a celebration of many kinds: it is a celebration of investment, not just in one of Ekurhuleni’s manufacturing hubs, but in Gauteng and South Africa. We also celebrate the circular economy and the extended producer responsibility in action, technology and manufacturing, as well as efforts by industry to make products more recyclable, to close the loop just a little further so that fewer tonnes of waste go to landfill.”

Mpact’s beneficiation of recyclables also extend to the R350 million state-of-the-art recycled PET (rPET) plant (Mpact Polymers), which processes 29,000 tonnes a year of used PET bottles into 21,000 tonnes of rPET for food and beverage packaging products. Consequently, Mpact now also recycles plastic lids on liquid packaging cartons and plastic bottles to make wheelie bins.

“The opening of Mpact’s liquid packaging recycling plant advances its position as the pre-eminent paper and carton recycler in Southern Africa,” says Rodney Reynders, Cluster Leader, Environment, Greater Middle East and Africa, Tetra Pak.

“This innovative facility amplifies Mpact’s opportunity for environmentally sustainable activities, and increases the collection and recycling of liquid packaging products. The operation will also meet the burgeoning needs of our customers to recycle greater volumes of carton packaging for reuse in new products”.

Zero waste to landfill is the goal

In his concluding remarks, Strong added, “wastage of any kind is not good. We are very clear that zero waste to landfill has to be the goal. This project and many others across the Group dovetail Mpact’s strategic drive to beneficiate recyclable materials in South Africa. This in turn reflects our long term commitment to sustainability and development of sustainable systems in recycling. Therefore, we embrace opportunities that will see us realise this in the country, drive innovation, investment, entrepreneurial development and the growth of SMMEs, as well as secure a sustainable future for all South Africans for generations to come.”

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The International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA) announced Jane Molony as its new president. Molony, executive director of the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA), will serve in this capacity for the next two years.

“Across the world, wood, paper and tissue products touch lives every day in ways that often go unnoticed. Without our industries’ products, many people would not be able to teach, read or learn; businesses would not be able to ship merchandise, or protect goods; nor would people be able to improve their lives through the basics of personal hygiene.
“Forest and paper products also have a great environmental and economic story to tell. It is a story that has been proudly told by the ICFPA for 15 years. I am particularly honoured to take charge of this group of leaders,” says Molony.
Molony was elected at the ICFPA’s annual meeting in Berlin, Germany last week. The meeting of 18 representatives from ICFPA members associations discussed future activities, cooperation and sustainability-related issues.
Molony succeeds Elizabeth de Carvalhaes, president and CEO of the Brazilian Tree Industry, who served as ICFPA president for the past three years.
“It has been a privilege to help the ICFPA continue its legacy of advocacy on important issues of interest of this global industry, and I have put significant efforts in communication. I believe this industry has a remarkable story to tell and we are just scratching the surface when it comes to public awareness and understanding of the sustainable benefits of the global forest products industry,” said Carvalhaes. “It was a great pleasure and honour to be part of this important forum and network of leaders and Ibá will continue to advocate towards the global forest industry and the plantations based industry locally and globally.”
“On behalf of the entire ICFPA, I would like to thank Elizabeth for her leadership and guidance,” adds Molony. “I look forward to continuing to work with her and the other members of the steering committee to ensure a strong global forest products industry.”
The ICFPA represents more than 30 national and regional forest and paper associations around the world.

For more information about the sustainability of the forest and paper industry, visit icfpa.org. www.forestryexplained.co.za is also worth a visit.

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The theme of the 2017 United Nations International Day of Forests (IDF) is Forests and Energy. Heralded annually, it shares the day with South Africa’s Human Rights Day. The International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA) is proud to represent the global forest products industry, which plays an important role in contributing to the production of renewable energy and reducing dependence on fossil fuels by using wood manufacturing residuals, byproducts and forest residues – collectively known as biomass – to produce much of the energy required for its operations.

The South African sector is represented through the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA). Jane Molony, PAMSA executive director and ICFPA vice chair, says that the local pulp and paper sector is in some instances totally self-sufficient and has additional power to sell into the grid. “This energy, by virtue of the cogeneration process and biomass based lignin content in black liquor, uses less water and emits less CO2 than regular coal based power production. This is why PAMSA finds it particularly galling that the Department of Energy’s recently published draft Integrated Resource Plan for energy excludes cogeneration as a viable, green technology.”

According to the international carbon accounting principle, when combusted for energy, biomass does not contribute to global climate change as growing trees sequester carbon from the atmosphere via photosynthesis. The ICFPA reiterates the carbon neutrality of biomass in a policy statement: http://www.icfpa.org/uploads/Modules/Publications/icfpa-statement-on-biomass-carbon-neutrality.pdf.

“The forest-based industry also can substitute for a wide range of fossil fuel-based products on the market, hence providing additional climate benefits as well as welfare to society,” said ICFPA President Elizabeth de Carvalhaes.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, wood provides the world with roughly 40 percent of current global renewable energy supply – more than solar, hydroelectric or wind power. Sustainably-managed forests have a key role in meeting several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and providing solutions for a growing green economy.

To increase the role of forests in providing renewable energy and to reduce the use of fossil fuels, the forest-based industry invests in technological innovation and sustainably-managed forests to improve yields and practices. In the past ten years, the energy share of biomass and other renewable fuels has increased from 53 to 63 percent.

The ICFPA represents more than 30 national and regional forest and paper associations around the world. For more information about the sustainability of the global forest and paper industry, visit icfpa.org.

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These trees are a renewable resource; planted trees will also be the source of a new generation of innovative forest products and derivatives that are essential to develop a low-carbon economy.

With investments in new technologies, many of these products which are already in the research and development phase will move from the Brazilian tree industry’s laboratories into new markets and different sectors, bringing additional benefits to society as a whole.

The importance of trees in supplying a number of products and services is the subject of the infographic “Planted trees and their multiple uses,” which illustrates the production processes of the forest chain, and the products and derivatives of planted trees.

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Recovered paper fibre has been used in South Africa as a raw material since 1920 and is thus a well-established waste stream. Locally and sustainably produced paper is a renewable resource with recycling featuring as a key component in the lifecycle of many paper products. But how much is actually recovered for reuse by the paper and paper packaging sector?

In 2001, the Paper Recycling Association of South Africa (RecyclePaperZA) reported a 38% paper recovery rate, rising to 59% in 2011. The association projected paper recycling rates to increase to 63% by the end of 2017 but by 2016 the paper and paper packaging industry well exceeded this with its 2015 figure of 66% of the nation’s recoverable paper and cardboard being recycled into new paper products.

“The 1.2 million tonnes of recyclable paper and paper packaging diverted from landfill in 2015 equated to 1,435 Olympic-sized swimming pools,” explains RecyclePaperZA operations director Ursula Henneberry.

This means the country is well ahead of the global average of 57.9% as reported by the International Council of Forest and Paper Association (ICFPA) in its 2015 report.

Renewable and recyclable paper packaging – a prominent part of daily life

From sturdy fruit boxes and colourful cereal boxes to the classic toilet roll core, and from egg boxes to milk and juice cartons, a large proportion of paper packaging is recyclable. Once recovered, the paper fibre is repulped and made into new paper products that we use every day.

“Some paper products cannot be recovered for recycling because they are kept for long periods of time such as books or archived in the form of business and financial records; others are destroyed or contaminated when used like tissue and hygiene products,” comments Henneberry.

Promise for paper recycling

The growth in paper recovery rates is a promising trend for the country because of the environmental benefits to recycling. Recycling lessens the impact on already pressured landfill sites since the need for landfilling is avoided. One tonne of recovered paper saves three cubic metres of landfill space.

Recycling also opens up entrepreneurial opportunities for unemployed or unskilled citizens and provides dignified work for informal collectors especially if residents and businesses separate their recyclables from non-recyclable and food waste.

South Africans can definitely do more by being more disciplined with office and home recycling programmes – by using free and paid collection services or supporting school and community centres with their fundraising recycling initiatives.

“A very practical way to improve your paper recycling habits is to keep paper clean and dry, and separate from wet waste and other recyclables, and putting it on the pavement for an informal collector. This not only gives these people money in their pockets, but also gives them dignity,” says Henneberry.

South Africa shows progress in recycling

While the country does not have the same ease of recycling for the everyday consumer that exists in developed countries, such as recycling bins in every park or on every street corner, South Africa can be proud that it ranks firmly among the developed market rates.

“Apart of industry-led programmes, South Africa’s successful paper recovery can be largely attributed to the informal collector sector,” notes Henneberry.

Other BRICS countries, and even many developed countries, do not perform as well, such as Brazil at 47% and China at 44.7%. An article in The Hindu Times puts the level of recovery and utilisation of waste paper by paper mills in India at 27% of the total paper and paperboard consumed. On the top end of the scale, Australia recycles 85% of its paper and paper packaging.

RecyclePaperZA is expected to release the 2016 paper recycling figures at the end of May 2017. A list of RecyclePaperZA’s members and contact information is available on www.recyclepaper.co.za/members/

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Sappi Limited (JSE),

Feature-rich

The new www.sappi.com features full descriptions of products and services offered; comprehensive award-winning educational materials for customers; in-depth sustainability reporting; easy access to corporate social responsibility efforts like Ideas That Matter; dynamic portals for customers and investors and a prominent social media presence. The site will also feature user personalisation, ensuring that the most relevant information is provided first to frequent visitors.

“A dedicated team of Sappi employees across the world has been working tirelessly over the last year to create a website that not only encapsulates our global 2020Vision, but that serves each of our key stakeholders in a way that is both informative, actionable and personalised,” said André Oberholzer, Group Head Corporate Affairs of Sappi Limited. “Sappi.com is now an essential source of information for all our stakeholders. We’re proud and excited by this launch, but our work is far from done. We’ve laid a solid foundation and will remain dedicated to quality. The team at Sappi will be making continuous improvements for each of our unique stakeholders.”

Two new features: Sappi&You and Investor hub

While the entire website was redesigned, there are two features with increased functionality that offer additional benefits to users. First, the Sappi&You Online portal for European customers offers a personalised online experience for printers, publishers and brand owners. Supported by eCommerce, it provides increased functionality to support our customers. Information is tailored to the customers’ specific needs allowing fast access to transactional information, local specialists, detailed product information, sample ordering or benefit from Sappi’s in depth technical knowledge and support areas. It is not only customers who benefit from Sappi&You Online, companies who would like to learn more about how Sappi&You can support their businesses will find useful information about our co-development approach as well as putting them in touch with our local specialists.

Second, a new hub dedicated to investors will provide background information on Sappi and the industry, as well as regularly updated share pricing, financial results, upcoming financial events, financial presentations and information on the 2020Vision.

Resourceful investment

“We see this investment as a key resource that helps drive our company toward our goal of ‘One Sappi’ – a single global brand,” continued Oberholzer. “With more resources immediately available to our audiences than ever before, and our resulting increased transparency, we will continue our position as a thought leader in the industry. We are excited to enter the next phase of our business strategy, where we will continue to innovate and offer products and services that are of the highest quality to our customers.”

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