bifa-Text 70: Studie „Sustainable paper cycle – a fact base study“
The study establishes that the paper industry uses wood, a renewable raw material that does not cause any greenhouse gas emissions in the balance sheet and does not impair the forest ecosystem when used sustainably. An analysis of the origin of wood indicates that clearings or the conversion of primary forest and semi-natural forest predominantly serve purposes other than paper production. Moreover, by certifying forest areas and purchasing FSC- or PEFC-certified wood, pulp or paper, many companies support sustainable forest management.
With sustainable wood use and high recycling rates, the paper industry has a good starting point for acting sustainably. The limits of recycling do not lie in a progressive loss of quality of the fibre material. Rather, losses of recycled fibres in the process must always be replaced by primary fibres.
The study also looks at the issue of energy. The German paper industry is one of the most energy-intensive sectors. The final energy consumption per tonne of paper has been reduced considerably over the years, by 43 % since 1980. A major hurdle for a significant further reduction is the process step of paper drying.
The amount of paper used is high in international comparison. In relation to the gross domestic product, however, Germany is in the middle. This indicates a close relationship to economic performance. Paper, cardboard and paperboard play an important role in the logistics of Germany as an export nation.
The study is published as bifa Text No. 70 and available at www.bifa.de.
Projects you might also be interested in:
Life cycle assessment and system analysis
You want more information?
You are welcome to contact me:
Dr. Wolfram Dietz
wdietz@bifa.de