Over the last decade or so, we have seen various people talk about paper being a huge menace to the society and is one of the largest contributor of pollution. However, through this post we would like to bust this myth once and for all. It is high time that the people need to start understanding the facts & the importance of paper in our daily life.
Approximately 70% of the paper produced in India is from waste / recycled paper or agricultural residue as the primary raw material which contributes towards protecting the environment.
While the balance 30% is produced using pulp wood, unlike in some parts of the world, Paper Industry in India is not a forest based industry but an agro/ farm forestry based industry engaging approximately 5 lakh farmers from whom more than 90% of the industry’s wood requirement is sourced. Farmers grow trees on their lands as any other crop and sell their harvest to the Paper Mills. Majority of the wood is grown in backward areas and marginal land which is potentially unfit for cultivation.
Growing and harvesting of these planted trees, which are called “Trees Outside Forest” (TOF), has generated substantial employment and increased income of the farmers in rural India.The balance 10% is sourced from wood grown by State Forest Development Corporations for commercial purposes on revenue land (i.e. non-forest).
Intensive efforts by the Paper Mills over the last several years have cumulatively brought about 900,000 hectares under plantation and 125,000 hectares are covered under agro / farm forestry on annual basis.
Growing trees by Paper Industry is leading to absorption of carbon dioxide and helping the cause of mitigating climate change. What is significant to note is that young trees grown by the Paper Industry absorb more carbon dioxide than the aged ones. These working or managed forests are very useful for the environment, and Paper Industry has demonstrated potential to enlarge the country’s green cover.
Farm forestry model has enabled farmers to increase their earnings by utilizing unproductive land. In fact, to meet the dream of the Honorable Prime Minister of doubling farmers’ income, farm forestry model is one of the key tools to be pursued not only by the industry but also by the Government.
It may kindly be recalled that by virtue of the farm forestry model and greater focus on plantation activities by India’s Paper Industry, green cover of the country has improved, and hence it is incorrect to say that usage of more paper leads to cutting down of forests.
Paper Industry has spent approximately INR 25,000 crore in the last 5-7 years in upgrading its technology and increasing the capacity to meet the domestic demand. This has led to significant reduction in consumption of natural resources, particularly energy and water. A large part of energy required for Paper Mills is generated by using renewable energy sources, i.e. bio-mass, resulting in reduced fossil fuel consumption and lower carbon emission.
Paper industry has been closely associated with the national objectives set-up by the Government in areas such as Greening India, Rural Employment and uses of sustainable resources besides meeting paper needs of the Indian consumers. Paper is much more environment friendly and better packaging material than alternates like plastic.In fact, India’s Paper Industry has been pleading for many years at various levels of the Government to permit plantation on degraded forest land with multiple objectives i.e. (i) Greening India, it may increase green cover by 1%, (ii) employment to rural / tribal people, potential employment of over 10 lakh people, (iii) raw material to Paper Industry at competitive rates, and (iv) bring non-productive asset (degraded forest land) into productive use with potential for economic development in rural areas of over INR 1 lakh crore in 20 years.
Major issue of damage to the environment by e-waste and the other effects of digitization are always undermined and Paper Industry, which is greening the country, has been suffering because of the negative publicity i.e. “usage of paper leading to cutting of forests” by not only Government agencies, but also by other corporate’s who have vested interests.
