How recycling paper can improve the health of our planet

Prioritising recovered paper over new resources will pave the way to a greener future.

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Industries that rely on practices like deforestation to extract natural resources, particularly for products such as paper, have created widespread and devastating consequences for ecosystems. These actions not only harm animal populations and plant biodiversity but also threaten the quality of the air we breathe. The destruction of trees, which naturally absorb CO2 from our atmosphere, accelerates the growing issue of global warming. As a result, deforestation contributes to the issue of climate change. 

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However, with the continuous advancement of technologies and the collective global effort to repurpose materials that have already entered production cycles, there is hope for reversing some of the damage caused. By focusing on recycling and using recovered materials, we can significantly reduce the strain on natural habitats and help preserve biodiversity.

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In 2023 alone, 420 million metric tons of paper was consumed worldwide, with more than half being produced using recovered materials. This trend can continue to increase as more companies and industries adopt sustainable practices, such as prioritizing the use of recovered materials over raw resources. By shifting to this method of how we use our resources, we can dramatically reduce the demand for new supply of materials and lessen the environmental damage caused by extraction processes like deforestation.

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Materials such as recycled copy paper, cardboard, and other paper products can be reused up to seven times, making them valuable in creating new products, including tissue paper and toilet paper. Although not the full recycling process is pollution free, the overall environmental impact of reusing recovered materials is far lower than relying on fresh raw materials. For instance, pollution in our Earth’s natural water sources is reduced by 34% for every ton of recycled paper we use. Preserving the health of global and local ecosystems.   

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At WPT, we try to find the best solutions to recycling large quantities of paper waste, ensuring that these materials are placed back into production, contributing to environmental sustainability.

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