As you probably know, paper is produced from trees. This means that a natural consequence of the production of paper is deforestation. More than 15 billion trees are cut down each year to create paper*. Each tree can produce approximately 8,000 sheets of paper. A less common source of paper is recycled paper products. However, paper can only survive 4-6 times being recycled until the fibers are broken down to the point that the paper will no longer survive the recycling process.
You may think the largest consequences of deforestation are animals becoming homeless and many even dying during the process of trees being harvested. Everyone feels the effects of deforestation, regardless of where you live in comparison to where the majority of deforestation takes place - the rainforest. The most significant impacts that deforestation has include: climate change, soil erosion, fewer crops, flooding, and increase in greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere***.
The bright side is that you can do something about this. Advances in technology have made it possible to purchase thousands of books to read online. Even textbooks, which use a significant amount of paper to produce. Although many people prefer to read the physical copy of a book, it is impossible to deny the convenience of having your personal library downloaded on a device that most of us have on our person at all times. Another benefit of electronic books is that they are typically cheaper than their paper counter parts. That sounds like a win-win situation to me.
Try to be an informed consumer and purchase recycled materials when possible. Recycled paper will specify what portion of the paper you are using is made from post-consumer recycling. Also, make sure you are recycling your paper waste. Many office buildings do not offer this option and the majority of paper waste ends up in a landfill where it takes a much longer time to decompose due to lack of exposure to the elements. Paper is also a great component for your compost pile, and will help prevent the compost from developing a bad odor.
There are many reasons you should cut back on your paper usage. Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of the importance of the issue. Think before you print. With the wide availability of digital copies, many reasons we used to require paper is now obsolete. If it is not essential, don't waste the paper.
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