When companies send statements or bills in the mail, it is practically guaranteed to say on the envelope "Save a tree, sign up for online statements now!"
However, plain and simple, using less paper does not save trees.
The wood fiber used in U.S. paper production comes from monitored and carefully cultivated forests, (a renewable resource!). U.S. paper companies know that the future of their business depends solely on the health and sustainability of these forests.
From 1952 to 2001 total timber growth in the United States increased by about 72 percent. And in 2001 alone, net growth of forests exceeded removals by 33 percent. Every day 1.7 million new trees are planted by the forest products industries in the U.S. Simply put, paper companies plant more trees than they cut down.
But if no one uses paper, what will happen to this tree-planting industry?
As long as the demand for paper remains strong, these managed forests are safe from real estate developers, and strip malls. "When people use more paper, suppliers plant more trees. If we want bigger commercial forests, then we should use more paper not less. Our policies should directly protect important wildlife habitats, not try to reduce our demand for paper," Edward L. Glaeser, professor of Economics, Harvard University.
So when you buy and use paper products, you are helping to save forests and trees. So the next time you have a choice to electronically send something or mail it, save a tree and use the paper!
Sources for the Statistics and Facts used in this post:
Down to Earth Part 6, http://www.internationalpaper.com/Apps/D2E/Down2EarthOnline/pdfs/D2E_6_PaperLeadsMoreTrees.pdf
Forest Resources of the U.S., 2002, http://ncrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/gtr/gtr_nc241.pdf
NAPL Business Review Vol. 5, No. 2, Summer 2010, pg. 50 The Green Medium
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