Waste paper management: Key to an economic friendly world!

Most people are not really aware of the value of paper and how it is intrinsically linked to the Eco-system even though a lot of awareness has been generated about pollution and the need to save the earth from various hazards. In fact how many of us have ever thought that saving even a small scrap of paper could go a long way in saving trees and ourselves from extinction. To begin with, the battle against depleting Eco-systems can begin in our own backyard by reusing waste paper at home. How many of us have thought of reusing an envelope that came in the post by just turning it around and writing on the back?

In the mad rush for development we have forgotten to calculate its impacts on our natural environment. In the last few years we have been witnessed to the depletion of forests, extinction of wildlife, global warming, the ozone layer, rising pollution and falling water tables etc. As the natural environment is being depleted and causing imbalances, this threatens our own survival, the time has come to take action urgently to preserve our resources by following a strategy of 'green consumerism' and making an effort to purchase the most ecologically sound products.

In the context of the present environmental situation the significance of finding alternative and environmentally conscious ways of meeting our growing requirements is ever more present. It forces us to acknowledge the fact that in order to achieve sustainable development, we not only have to redefine development but also rethink the ways we use, conserve, optimise and recycle existing resources.

While a lot of awareness has been generated on pollution and the need to conserve scarce resources like water etc, paper escapes everybody's attention as a resource that needs to be used judiciously. Generally, people may argue that with the advent of computers, e-mails and modern technology, the use of paper has diminished, the fact is that paper is an important component of any office and of daily life. With the growth of economies and businesses, the demand for paper has increased by leaps and bounds.

The production of paper is a key economic activity representing 1 percent of the world's total economic output. The global demand for paper is growing at a rate of 3 percent per annum. Global paper consumption doubled between 1978 and 1991 and is expected to increase by another 80 percent by the year 2010. This raises huge concerns about forestry management. Paper manufacturing accounts for 14 percent of world's wood harvest. Wood contributes upto 93 percent of pulp, paper and newsprint production of the world. In India, forest based raw materials wood and bamboo meets 70 percent of the total requirement of the commercial paper industry's requirements while secondary fibers like agricultural residues, grasses, cloth rags and waste paper meets the remaining 30 percent.

It must be remembered that India has one of the thinnest forest covers in the world. Against the recommended cover of 33 percent the forest cover in India is approximately 16 percent. In fact the Indian pulp industry is facing a serious shortage of raw materials. The entire process of paper production not only consumes natural resources but is also energy and water intensive and polluting to the environment. Today India is faced with the reality of equitable distribution of natural resources to its vast population, conservation of its flora and fauna, land, energy and water resources for future generations as well as the demands of a growing 'use and throw away' society. In such circumstances diverting scarce resources for paper can be damaging and dangerous.

All this calls for a fresh look at paper recycling. Compared with producing one tonne of paper from virgin wood pulp, the production of one tonne of paper from discarded and waste paper uses half as much energy and water which leads to 74 percent less pollution, saving 17 pulp trees from being cut down, reduces solid waste from accumulating and creates 5 times more jobs. In recent years many countries have realised the advantages of paper recycling and steps have been initiated to pursue and enforce paper recycling rules in a systematic manner. In 1994, the global waste paper recovery reached 40 percent compared to 33 percent in 1998. Countries like Germany, the U.K and Japan have drawn policy initiatives to increase paper recycling beyond market induced levels. Although a lot of emphasis has been placed on solid waste volumes, other issues like natural resources and energy conservation are also highlighted.

India's performance in terms of waste paper collection and recycling of paper production remains extremely poor by world standards with recovery rate as low as 20 percent. India needs to seriously rethink its policy towards paper, examining its fast decreasing forest cover and evaluating its energy conservation and depleting natural resources. We not only need to reduce the amount of paper we use day to day but also maximise our utilisation of paper by minimising wastage, reusing and recycling paper resources in our work environment on a day to day basis.

Organised waste paper management requires conscious attitudinal changes starting at the point of use to the generation of waste paper and its disposal. From this follows a certain sensitivity and practice that involves the maximum utilisation of paper at ones workstation. The challenge is to see the environmental benefits of the exercise before economic benefits, which will become visible after some time. For this to happen in India, NGO's and the government have a major role to play. The first is to understand the benefits of paper recycling and think of paper not just as a commodity but also as a finite resource to be used and conserved for the sustainability of the natural environment. We need to sensitise, our people, our workforce, corporate houses, government institutions on the benefits of organised waste paper management and the benefits of economic -friendly work environments.

 

A Modern Office/Workplace
The current scenario...	The eco-friendly scenario..
Piles of documents lying unused and waiting to be thrown!	Reuse and Recycle waste paper
Several copies of the same draft report circulated among colleagues or the print run went overboard!	Use the intranet or at most, circulate copies among two-three colleagues and take all comments/corrections together! Make an informed decision when printing material.
One dustbin around a workstation for all kinds of waste, banana peels, cigarette stubs and waste paper!	Keep separate dustbins for paper and for other waste.
A carton full of damaged or multiple photocopied paper!	Save damaged paper and take some paper home, to have your children paint or scribble away.
One printer per workstation and lots of 'one-side' printed paper lying unused!	Place a tray for storing and reusing 'one-side' used paper for draft print outs, or make scratch pads.
Scrap paper dumped in an empty space in the office, soiled and with no possibility of recovery!	Make sure that the scrap paper is stored in a jute bag or drum for proper disposal.

Paper is a biodegradable resource which is less harmful to the environment than plastics, even when it is dumped as waste. However if recycled directly, it becomes an environmental and economic resource. Over time if recycling is followed judiciously, it is possible that different kinds of recycled paper will become the order of the day and the need will never arise for a tree to be felled to produce paper.

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