Environmental Effects
In the United States the paper industry is the largest user, per ton
of product, of industrial process water and the third largest industrial
consumer of energy. During the year 2008 in the United States, paper and paperboard
accounted for the largest portion (34 percent) of the municipal waste
stream, and 25 percent of discards after recovery of materials for
recycling and composting. Once in a landfill, paper has the potential to
decompose and produce methane, a greenhouse gas with 21 times the
heat-trapping power of carbon dioxide. Transportation throughout the
system also has significant environmental impacts. In an effort to
improve the paper industry, we need to make moves to sustainable forest
management with Forestry Stewardship Certification and removal of
harmful bleaching technologies.
Information courtesy papercutz.planetark.org
Information courtesy papercutz.planetark.org