Biodegradable, natural and renewable raw materials: unlike plastic, paper is today regarded as a sustainable Material. The growing paper consumption leading to deforestation and loss of biodiversity.
For twelve years the “paper Atlas”, cities, counties, and universities in Germany, the use of exclusively or especially a lot of recycled paper with the Label “Blue angel”, made from 100 percent recycled paper. This year can look forward to Oldenburg, Höxter and Ahrweiler, as well as the Technical University of Kaiserslautern over the tribute.
Is created, the paper Atlas of the Initiative Pro recycling paper (IPR), an Association of 25 companies and associations. The Initiative makes one thing clear above all: the paper is less environmentally friendly than its reputation. Its paper consumption to eat whole forests.
Eucalyptus monocultures for the paper
On paper, refer to the experts of the consultant organization of the Forum of Ecology and paper (FR): Approximately every fifth tree that is felled in this world, the country in the manufacture of paper. However, the wood does not come from long-only from sustainably managed forests won.
“Green deserts” are eucalyptus monocultures, also called
To meet the demand, to be used along with the deforestation of natural forests and partly also fast-growing plantations, for example eucalyptus, so the IPR. These monocultures, reduced biodiversity and could lead to high water demand for the lowering of the water table. In addition, monocultures are more vulnerable to forest fires, which can spread quicker than in mixed forests.
And paper consumption in the world continues to rise. One of the world’s largest consumer, Germany. In 2017, the Federal Republic of Germany was on place four of the paper most hungry States in the world. The pulp for the paper production in Germany is, according the IPR to 75 per cent from other countries, especially from Brazil, Sweden, and Finland.
540 percent growth in packaging
While the share count has fallen of papers, such as books, magazines, printing, or writing paper, in the past few years, now make up packaging for the lion’s share of paper consumption.
“The proportion of paper, cardboard and cardboard packaging has grown since 1996 to 540 percent,” says Almut Reichart, an expert for the pulp and paper industry at the Federal environment Agency (UBA). Responsible for this rise in paper cups and plates for Takeaway food packaging in the food sector and in particular the increase in Online trade. In addition to the high number of parcels and packages also falls into the weight that boxes are shipped in standard sizes and as a result, the packaging is bigger than necessary.
In the FR you are afraid of the bad Image of plastic could lead to the fact that consumers are increasingly turning to paper as a packaging material. “This re-usable plastic has a significantly better LCA than paper, especially if it is not recycled paper,” says Evelyn beauty from the FR.
Environmental Sin, Paper Bag
A negative example would be the paper bag. She comes often in unbleached brown, but made from recycled paper it is still long. On the contrary, So that the bags don’t tear when heavy purchases are for the production of particularly long and tear-resistant cellulose fibers is necessary, writes the German environmental aid (DUH). Such fibers, however, is best made of fresh wood.
Paper bags seem often to be “eco”, it is but most of the time
However, there are Alternatives to wood as a pulp supplier: The hope is to pulp plants, which arise as a secondary biomass, such as Grass or straw. Condition is not that these were absent elsewhere, such as cattle feed, says Almut Reichart, UBA.
Grass, paper and cardboard could be used in the future, particularly as a packaging material, the expert from the UBA: “In the manufacture of pulp Pellets from Grass, it comes almost without chemistry, and you can use them in every paper factory – these are the advantages.
The disadvantage is their appearance. They are much less homogeneous than wood fibers, about dark points in the structure.” Their use, for example, in the book printing is limited, so Reichart. Researches with straw, which offer significantly longer fibers were currently.
Apples on the Grass, uh.. on grass cardboard
Recovered paper is a valuable raw material
The best-studied of the environmental balance sheet currently has recycling of paper. This saves, according to the UBA in the production of 60 percent energy and 70 percent of water compared to paper from virgin fibers. The question of competition for land in cultivation does not arise.
The interest in recycled paper has fallen in Germany, however. 2018, the percentage of Recycled was office paper and magazines, according to the consumer centres in Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia, at just 30 percent. In the area of school notebooks, he shrank from 50 percent to 70 percent at the beginning of the 1990s to the current level of only 5 to 10 percent. In hygienic papers, 1996, 68 percent recovered paper fibres have been processed, by 2015, only 48 per cent.
Paper consumption limit
Still better than to use recycled paper, be it the consumption of paper is generally made to restrict the use of already existing paper several times, telling the paper, Experts from UBA and FR. That would mean: to print on both sides, to use the reverse side of letters as Notepaper and with their own carry bags to be sourced locally. Also a sticker with”advertising – no thanks!” on the letter box would be useful.
Evelyn beauty looks at this point, however, the legislator asked. “I should my letter box does not need to protect. Rather, it should apply the rule that advertising must only be used with permission thrown in.”