Myths and facts in relation to paper manufacture and sourcing
Myth One: Making paper destroys forests
In fact the opposite is true. The main constituent of paper is cellulose fibre, but this doesn’t automatically equate to the destruction of forests. In managed forests, for every tree cut down, three or four are replanted in its place.
Harlow Printing sources all paper from paper mills that utilise managed forests documented environmental policies. Our carbonless paper for example has the White Swan Eco Label .
( The Nordic eco-label "Miljömärkt – The White Swan" was launched in 1989 by the Nordic Council of Ministers, a multi-national body involving the countries of Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Denmark. The aim of the Council of Ministers was to establish a uniform Nordic environmental label for products and services. Like the European eco-label, "The White Swan” pursues a holistic approach in the development of criteria )
Myth Two: Making paper damages the environment
Again, the reverse is true. As young trees grow, they absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Furthermore, as a wood product, paper continues to store carbon throughout its lifetime.
Myth Three: Making paper consumes vast amounts of energy
On average it takes 500 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity to produce 200kg of paper, the average amount of paper that each of us gets through each year. That’s the equivalent of burning a 60w light built continuously for 12 months – hardly a vast amount.
Myth Four: Paper has a high carbon footprint
Not so. Producing 200kg of paper creates between 130-250kg of CO2 depending on the source of energy. So a year’s consumption of paper is roughly equivalent to the CO2 produced by an average family car over a distance of 600 miles.
Myth Five: Recycled paper is always better for the environment than virgin paper
Not necessarily; you must consider paper’s full life cycle and not just the fibre source. Modern paper mills producing virgin fibre paper, whose energy source is nuclear, hydro or internally bio-fuelled, may well have a lower carbon footprint than a mill making recycled paper, powered by fossil fuels.
Harlow Printing supports the use of virgin pulp rather than 100% recycled papers and the majority of our paper usage is not 100% recycled.. We believe the lower energy requirements combined with the benefits of managed forests is beneficial to the environment. We do however recycle 100% of our paper waste as this is preferable to landfill options. Most of our papers include a percentage of paper broke or a recycled element.
Myth Six: Paper contributes significantly to landfill
The average recycling rate across European countries is over 62 per cent, representing more than 50 million tonnes of used paper collected each year. Paper fibres can be recycled up to six times, and recycling is certainly the best way to keep waste paper out of landfill.
We recognise that our operations have the potential to affect the environment. Harlow Printing meets all legal and regulatory requirements. Indeed, we regard it as critically important that we continuously improve all aspects of our environmental performance. Therefore we ensure that while satisfying the demanding requirements of our clients, our goods, services and internal housekeeping comply with environmental legislation and best practice.
In partnership with County Durham Environmental Trust (CDENT) and Groundwork South Tyneside and Newcastle we have designed and developed a wildlife garden at our new warehouse and distribution centre. The garden is a biodiversity project providing a natural habitat for endangered flora and fauna. Local schools have been involved in the planting of many hundreds of shrubs and trees over the last several months. The garden is now available as a curriculum resource for local schools providing opportunities for the practical application and appreciation of habitat, environment and indigenous species. We have been the recipient of many awards for environmental good practice including:
Evening Chronicle Environmental business of the year award
STEP awards for environmental good practice
South Tyneside Borough Council Gold award for environmental good practice