What Do You Know About The Paper You're Holding?

While many have the perception that forests are destroyed to make paper, the opposite is true.

A tree was not killed to make the paper in your hands. In fact, by harvesting the tree that helped make the paper, a contribution was made towards a greener South Africa.

How? Simply put, the wood fibre used for papermaking comes from sustainably farmed trees, says the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (Pamsa).

South Africa has 850 million trees growing on more than 670 000 hectares reserved for pulp and papermaking. Less than 10% of this total area is harvested during the year, and the same area is replanted with specially cultivated saplings.

Interestingly, paper giant Sappi says that young trees and forests are most efficient in taking up carbon because they use carbon to grow, thus they capture more carbon, which 'they convert into their trunks, leaves and branches'.

The paper that Caxton uses to print newspapers is primarily sourced from Sappi. Seed orchards are planted and paper is created from harvested pine cones. Parent trees are chosen for their superior growth and timber qualities.

The seeds are removed, treated and put into containers. Thereafter, the seedlings are nurtured in tree nurseries until they are ready for the plantation. Farmed trees can be viewed in the same light as farmed vegetables. When a farmer harvests a crop, he plants a new one. The same is true with tree farming - you replace what you pick.

"Think about it. If paper manufacturers did not use paper sourced from sustainably managed forests, many of the forests in South Africa would have no reason to exist. Many of our clients care committed to their own sustainability journeys and using paper from managed sources for their packaging and advertising is one component of their sustainability programmes," says Jacqui Hansen, Head of Marketing, who has been working closely with many of the Caxton and CTP divisions to understand their individual sustainability programmes.

"The 'think before you print' disclaimer on electronic correspondence is thus a myth - paper production keeps the planet well treed, rather than less treed."

Companies like Sappi are committed to unlocking the power of trees to make every day more sustainable for the customers they serve, the communities in which they operate, and the planet we all call home.

"Sustainably managed forests and plantations play a vital role in mitigating climate change and safeguarding biodiversity, the two big challenges of our time. We're determined to be part of the solution to these challenges." - Sappi.

If there's one thing that's essential to everyday life, it's paper. As Pamsa says, paper is a renewable, recyclable material that is an inextricable, often an invisible part of our lives. Here are Pamsa's five reasons why paper is good for us, our economy and our environment:

1.It's Versatile

Paper is categorised into three principal types - printing and writing, packaging and tissue - and chances are that we use each kind every day. From the kitchen cupboard to the
bathroom and the classroom.

Paper in its most common form - a blank piece of white copy paper - holds the potential to become anything.

2.It's Renewable

"If it wasn't for commercially grown trees, our indigenous forests would have been eradicated years ago to meet our fibre, fuel and furniture needs," explains Pamsa executive director Jane Molony. "Sustainable, commercial forests have a vital role to play in curbing deforestation and mitigating climate change."

As with most agricultural crops, trees are planted in rotation. Once mature - after seven to 11 years, they are harvested. However, a small portion of the total plantation area is felled annually. New saplings are planted in the same year, at an average rate of 320 000 new trees per day, or one-and-a-half saplings per harvested tree. This is what makes the paper we source from wood renewable.

3.It's Recyclable

The paper and cardboard from our recycling bins is a valuable raw material and South Africa has been using it as an alternative fibre in papermaking since 1920.

Given that land suitable for the commercial growing of trees is limited, recycled paper fibre is a useful supplement in paper, packaging and tissue making. But we will always need virgin fibre in papermaking because paper fibres shorten and weaken each time they are recycled. In 2022, more than 60% of recoverable paper was collected for recycling.

4.It's Good for the Environment

Working forests provide clean air, clean water and the managed conservation of wetlands, grasslands and biodiversity.

Farmed trees are efficient carbon sinks. Every year, South Africa's commercial forests are estimated to capture millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, in turn releasing life-giving oxygen.

The carbon remains locked up even after the wood is chipped, pulped and made into the many items we use every day. This is a good reason to recycle as it keeps this carbon locked up for even longer. Once paper is sent to a landfill, it will naturally degrade along with wet waste and add to unnecessary emissions.

5.It's Good for the Economy

Not only does forestry, pulp, paper production and recycling add billions to the South African economy annually, but the sector also provides sustainable jobs for thousands of people.

Let's not forget the jobs of engineers and researchers who design advanced technologies and processes that make pulping, papermaking and paper recycling more energy and water-efficient, and the artisans and operators that keep paper production moving.

Add to this the downstream value chains which rely on paper to produce their products, including printing, publishing, media, advertising and the myriad sectors which use paper-based packaging to protect their goods during transit.