The bifa environmental institute has scrutinised the sustainability of paper production and use. It has summarised its findings in a study on the sustainable paper cycle. Sustainable wood utilisation and high recycling rates are crucial.
Paper as a raw material is used for a wide variety of purposes and on a large scale. And, of course, it is also used in the packaging industry. The study „Sustainable paper cycle - a factual basis“ has now compiled reliable facts on the sustainability of paper production and paper use. The focus is on paper production in Germany and the paper used in Germany.
The study by the bifa Umweltinstitut was commissioned by the Kuratorium für Forschung und Technik der Pulp and paper industry and in co-operation with the Papatechnical foundation was created. On 57 pages, it provides a comprehensive database, in particular on the topics of life cycle assessment, energy consumption, wood origin and recycling.
The study found that the paper industry uses wood, a renewable raw material that does not cause any greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, sustainable utilisation would not harm the forest ecosystem. According to the study, an analysis of the origin of wood indicates that deforestation or the conversion of primary forest and semi-natural forest is predominantly used for purposes other than paper production. With the certification of forest areas and the purchase of FSC or PEFC-certified wood, fibre or paper, many companies also support a sustainable use of forests. Sustainable forest management.
Recycling and sustainable paper cycle
With sustainable wood utilisation and high recycling rates, the paper industry has a good starting point for acting sustainably. The limits of recycling do not lie in a progressive loss of quality of the fibre material. Rather Losses of recycled fibres are repeatedly replaced by primary fibres during the process.
The topic of energy is also highlighted in the study. The German paper industry is one of the energy-intensive industries. Final energy consumption per tonne of paper has been reduced considerably over the years, by 43 per cent since 1980. A major obstacle to a significant further reduction is the process step of Paper drying represent.
According to the study, the amount of paper used is high in an international comparison. However, in terms of gross domestic product, Germany is in the middle of the field. This indicates a close relationship to economic performance. Paper, cardboard and paperboard play an important role in the logistics of Germany as an export nation.
The study by the bifa Umweltinstitut is available as a bifa Text No. 70 available online.
Source: bifa Umweltinstitut GmbH
