Printing Services industry is on the rise. There are facts to prove this. It is poised to touch the magical figure of 25 million tonnes in 2019-2020 which is just phenomenal. It is an increase of over 10 percent from 2018-2019. India has now emerged as the fastest growing market in the consumption of paper. There are a variety of papers that is desired by Indian public – printing and writing paper, packaging paper, coating paper and many more. If we talk about paper mills in India, then the figure touches about 600 and out of them, 12 can be considered as special Printing Services. Given the demand of Indian people, the future of paper industry looks quite bright. But there is a downside to it too.
Paper is produced from trees. More production of paper is leading to cutting down of trees which is directly affecting the environment. The impact of cutting down of tress can be easily seen. Sudden increase in pollution and global warming are two warning signs. If we want to preserve environment and leave a better future for the generations to come, there is need of recycling the paper. All the companies involved in Printing Services should encourage the use of recycled paper and help the environment. Recycled paper not only conserves natural resources but also reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
If you are a part of Printing Services and don’t know much about Recycled paper, then below given facts will enlighten you –
- Environmental help
In today’s time, there are a lot of things which negatively affects the environment. Right from the greenhouse gases to refrigerators, we have incorporated different harmful aspects in our daily life. But there are very few contributors. Along with trees, using recycled paper is one of them. One way is to look at the usage of Europe. More than 72 percent of paper consumption in Europe is of recycled paper. More than half the tress are directly saved from cutting down. We can take a cue out of their book and be directly inspired by them. Recycling paper is the most eco friendly use in Printing Services.
- Most recycled products
The use of paper is not only limited to one particular industry. It can be used in any given industry. This is what makes paper as the most recycled product. More than 50 percent of the paper waste is collected by trade and Printing Services. 40 percent of waste is contributed by households and remaining 10 percent from offices. After the paper has been discarded, it is collected and used with other paper products. In our country, export of paper is also encouraged as the production is at high levels. When the recycling rate is increased, environment will be positively impacted.
- Going with the stats
The stats will show an interesting figure. In offices, one pound of paper is used per employee. And three fourth of the waste that occurs due to them has the potential to be recycled. If we religiously recycle that amount, it will be a real push for the environment. The paper wasted is of high grade which is another point that can be improved.
The use of old and recycled paper by Printing Services uses quite less energy. 30-50% of energy is saved as compared to production of new paper.
Landfills are filled of paper waste. 40 percent of the waste in landfills is comprised of paper waste. It is a huge figure given the fact that there is a wide category of waste.
- Recycle waste’s example
Now, we say that paper should be recycled but giving some examples will be a better idea. Newspapers are the best source of paper that can be recycled. After recycling, they can be used as egg cartons, game boards, gift boxes, notebooks, insulating materials etc. Office paper can be recycled into toilet materials such as paper towels, tissue paper and toilet papers. Additionally, corrugated cardboard is recycled into new cardboard and cereal boxes. Other kind of papers than can be recycled are greeting cards, post-it notes, magazines, flyers etc. If all the Printing Services make these small changes, then a good chunk of environmental issues can be solved.
- What cannot be recycled
Although recycling is a great environmental step, not every form of paper can be recycled. You have to keep in mind the type which you are recycling. One of the common types is Pizza box. Only those pizza boxes which have recycling symbol on them can be recycled. However brands like Dominos and Pizza Hut have become eco-friendly and coming up corrugated cardboard. Carbon papers should be avoided as they are not at all recycled. Other common examples include coffee cups, Candy Wrappers, tissues, paper towels, brown and kraft envelopes etc. If you are an environmentalist, be wary of using them.
- Recycling while sitting in office
You may not realize but as a part of Printing Services, you can add to the environment just by sitting in your office. The first thing to do is to buy supplies only when they are needed. You will be surprised to know the amount of paper that can be saved by practicing this. Don’t get confused by the name. The term means to reduce the amount of paper used by tweaking some habits. Use of glossy papers should be minimized as they are hard to recycle. Instead of using only one side of the paper, use both the sides. If you want to use paper for memo, then consider scratch paper.
- Recycle fiber as it is more efficient
Cascading system is used to recycle fiber. Printing Services use cascading system by removing fresh fiber from the forest and their benefit is in making wood or paper products which are used after one use. They are then reused in paper and board manufacturing. The energy used while producing fiber is also quite less. One more advantage is that fiber can be recycled more than once.
Recycling of paper is a contribution from your end to the environment which needs urgent attention.
