While total paper consumption in North America has declined, it still remains a major threat to our forests (1). To put this into perspective, here are 5 Fast Facts about paper:

1. What percentage of logging is done in order to make paper?

40% of the world’s industrial logging goes into making paper, and this is expected to reach 50% in the near future (1).

2. How do other countries stack up when it comes to recycling?

77% of paper is recycled in the Netherlands (2)

67% of paper is recycled in Germany (2)

52% of paper is recycled in Japan (2)

45% of paper is recycled in the U.S. (2)

3. Other than recycled paper, do consumers have any other options for eco-friendly paper?

Agricultural papers (AgriPapers) have become an increasingly popular option. Wheat Sheet, for instance, saves one tree for every two boxes, which is virtually equivalent to 100% recycled at a fraction of the price (3)

4. How much unopened junk mail actually ends up in landfills?

In the United States, approximately 44% of unopened junk mail goes to landfills (1).

5. What percentage of overall waste in Canada is paper and paper board?

About one-third of our waste is paper and paperboard (4).

1. Sources: Forest Ethics, Environmental Paper Network
Retrieved from http://www.forestethics.org/paper-the-facts
2. Sources: iD2 Communications, Washington Post, Worldwatch Institute
3. Source: Social Print Paper
Retrieved from http://socialprint.com/wp-content/uploads/Social-Print-Life-Cycle-Assessment-of-Wheat-Sheet-Executive-Summary.pdf
4. Sources: Canada.com, Environment Canada
Retrieved from http://www.canada.com/northshorenews/features/livegreen/story.html?id=2283d1bd-8aec-48a1-9842-47b95abb83ff