World Environment Day: how the pulp and paper industry optimizes the use of natural resources
Through good forest management practices, conscientious use of raw materials and reduction of carbon emissions, companies in the sector are a benchmark in sustainability
World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5th and aims to mobilize all of society to take a critical and active stance in relation to environmental problems existing on the planet.
The date points to the importance of sustainable actions in people’s daily lives, but also highlights the need for economic activities, such as industry, to minimize their environmental impact. This applies to the pulp and paper segment, which uses natural resources in its processes and has been incorporating environmentally sound practices into its operations to help reduce the effects of climate change and ensure quality of life for future generations.
An especially important measure to help optimize and conserve natural resources is reforestation, also known as planting forests in the pulp and paper industry. These forests planted for commercial purposes are normally private areas of the companies and, for each tree removed for pulp production, another is planted, thus avoiding the deforestation of native areas.
Good forest management, which ensures care for the trees – the sector’s main raw material – is essential to avoid deforestation, conserve and restore thousands of forest areas, contributing to healthy ecosystems. The practice also protects the soil and rivers, improves the production potential of forests and collaborates with the preservation of biodiversity through ecological corridors, which favor the circulation of hundreds of species of wild animals.
Plantations and conservation areas are an asset promoted by the manufacturers, as they capture and store millions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere, helping to reduce the effects of climate change and to conserve water and the pollination process. In addition, efficient forestry logistics ensure lower maintenance costs and low fuel consumption, reducing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
When the criteria related to the maintenance and protection of forests are followed, and the resources used come from legal and sustainable sources, the manufacturers receive environmental management certifications, which prove their commitment to the cause of the environment and the reduction of the impact of their activities.
Being deeply committed to preserving the environment for current and future generations must be a mission for pulp and paper companies. Increasingly, they must encourage responsible management to protect global forests and ensure the sustainable supply of raw materials and inputs, adapting it to the needs of their business.
Paper production can be an ecologically correct process at all stages – in the field, in the industry and in the selection of the best partners – contributing positively to the environment. Thus, it is possible to create high quality products, preserving and optimizing the use of finite natural resources that are essential to human life.
