Tag: ForestFacts

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) wants you to celebrate Earth Day every day by embracing the use of paper and wood products. Jeff Bradley, Manager of Forestry & Wood Products Policy, shares some of the benefits of working forests and sustainable forest management. This includes providing clean air, clean water, habitats for wildlife, and biodiversity. He writes: “Demand for paper and wood products supports these forests. Tree farmers are able to make an income by harvesting trees, encouraging them to keep their forests as forests by replanting trees.” He further states that demand for paper products helps protect forests from being “… turned into other land uses like parking lots or cornfields.” Read the full article here.

Last month, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette  shared a sticker with their subscribers that stated: “In honor of Earth Day, the Post-Gazette will not print on Monday, April 22.” This claim prompted Leeann Foster, Assistant to the International President of the United Steelworkers, to write a letter to the newspaper, addressing the greenwashing claim that digital-only news is more environmentally friendly. She shared, “It simply is not black and white to say that digital communication is green and paper is not. In 2016, for example, 44.7 million metric tons of e-waste was generated globally…Paper, however, is a highly and easily recyclable product that is used again and again to make more paper and boxes.” Supporting her letter with facts, Ms. Foster provided a link to our popular Two Sides  Myths and Facts page. Her full letter was posted on the USW Paperworkers Facebook Page and was shared, commented on, and liked by the community.

You will find the entire article published in the spring edition of one:one magazine as well as other print and graphics company publications around the US.

Two Sides featured prominently in new book by John Mullinder

John Mullinder started his journalistic career in New Zealand before emigrating to Canada in the mid-1980s. Over the past 27 years, Mr. Mullinder has led a national environmental council for the country’s paper packaging industry. Frustrated by encounters with people who knew so little about forestry and paper production but had plenty of opinions about killing and saving trees, John was compelled to write a book called, Deforestation in Canada and Other Fake News.

“Many people believe that cutting down trees is deforestation and the emotional image they associate with this is an ugly clear cut,” states Mr. Mullinder.  “I debunk these myths with hard facts, well-documented evidence, references and real images of deforestation.”

Deforestation is often incorrectly defined and associated with the forestry products industry. In reality, deforestation is defined as the permanent destruction of forests to make the land available for other uses. One reason Mr. Mullinder chose to show an agricultural scene on the cover of his book is to point out that the primary causes of deforestation are due to agriculture, oil and gas projects, and urbanization.

Information from Two Sides and Dovetail Partners helped to debunk myths that are key to understanding the value of supporting the forestry and paper industry.

• The first is the myth that saving paper saves trees. Although it can seem counterintuitive, research shows that using paper and wood products is an essential component in maintaining forested land.
• And the second is that digital has a minimal environmental impact compared to print. Trees are actually a renewable resource and are continuously replenished when managed with sustainable forestry practices. There are raw material, energy, and landfill environmental impacts to consider when using digital devices.

We asked Mr. Mullinder what he thought the biggest challenges were to combat the misinformation around the forestry industry. He believes that the reach and impact of negative visual images and widespread misinformation on social media influences the reader’s perception, especially the younger generation.  Although the forest and paper industry has greatly improved its environmental performance over the past 50 years, there is still a great deal of work to be done to combat the distorted information. Mr. Mullinder believes the industry needs to continue to aggressively educate the public through organizations like Two Sides, to establish credibility while telling the strong story about the renewability, sustainability, and recyclability of forestry and paper.

Click here for more information about John Mullinder, or to learn more about his book.

Two Sides members are provided with a wealth of fact-based tools and information that companies, schools, authors and organizations can use to support their own educational goals.  Connect with us online at www.twosidesna.org and through social media on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.  To join us, please visit the Two Sides Membership page, contact us by email at mailto:info@twosidesna.org or by phone at 855-896-7433.

U.S. Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AR) holds a Master’s Degree in Forestry from Yale University and understands better than most that a healthy and sustainably managed forest is not a partisan issue.

The use of forest products by society drives a healthy market as well as the incentive for forest owners to manage their forests sustainably.  In other words, wood product use, paired with a commitment to recycling and sustainable forest management, including replanting many more trees than we use (standard practice in North America), will result in healthy, vibrant forests.

Read the details of Representative Westerman’s story about sustainable forestry, economics, family forests, and forestry jobs in Arkansas and how by working together it makes for healthy forests.

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Two Sides releases five new ads highlighting print’s lasting impression

Our goal at Two Sides North America is to ensure that print remains one of the most powerful and sustainable forms of communications for generations to come. We are spreading the word by providing our members with facts, research, and tools to help communicate the importance of the paper and print industries and the benefits they bring to our economy and our communities.

We have just released five new ads to encourage companies to join our growing network of members.

Please consider donating ad space and featuring our ads in your print publications or online.  Contact us at info@twosidesna.org.

Two Sides depends entirely on the financial support and engagement of over 1,000 members globally, including 160 members in North America.  These include a wide range of businesses from the Graphic Communications Industry, such as:

• Educational establishments
• Envelope manufacturers and converters
• Paper merchants
• Printers and print management organizations
• Printing equipment manufacturers
• Inks and chemicals
• Postal service providers
• Publishers and news services
• Pulp and paper producers
• Trade and industry associations

Two Sides membership provides a host of resources to help your organization better understand sustainability issues related to the Graphic Communications Industry and more effectively promote the sustainability of our industry and your business. We offer:

• Content you can trust
• Great networking opportunities with industry peers
• Promotional tools and resources
• Facts, figures and case studies
• Consumer research
• News and resources
• Access to exclusive sustainability know-how
• Expert advice and support

If you are not already a member, please visit the Two Sides Membership page and learn more about our educational information and valuable tools to bust myths about print and paper and combat greenwashing.  You can also connect with us online at www.twosidesna.org and through social media on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

If you are already a member – thank you for your support and please continue to spread the word.

Two Sides North America releases a new fact sheet on why paper made in North America can be a responsible purchasing choice.

March 27, 2019 (Chicago, IL) – Two Sides North America recently released a fact sheet outlining key facts and figures about the environmental sustainability of the North American pulp and paper industry.  The information was compiled from over twenty different reports, studies, and sources.

Below are some of the highlights of the fact sheet:

Forest area is stable to growing in North America.  The key causes of deforestation are not forestry, but rather agriculture, urbanization, hydro and other industrial development (ex: oil and gas).  Sustainable forestry practices, either voluntarily or through regulation, ensure that the majority of harvested areas are replanted to regenerate forests.

Nearly half of the globally certified forests are located in North America.  Forest certification based on standards such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council, promotes strong forest management practices which result in economically viable, ecologically sound, and socially just outcomes.  Many companies in North America comply with these standards and the forest area certified increases annually.

The pulp and paper industry is one of the lowest emitters of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as compared to other major industrial manufacturing industries.  This result is due in part to energy efficiency improvements as well as the relatively high use of carbon-neutral biomass (and low use of fossil fuels) in pulp and paper manufacturing.

The North American pulp and paper sector is heavily regulated.  Pulp and paper mills are continuously improving and reporting environmental performance due to changing and evolving environmental regulations.  Many companies also go beyond the required regulations as outlined in annual published sustainability reports.  This regulatory framework which helps drive corporate responsibility is also one of the reasons why the U.S. and Canada rank relatively high on the Corruption Perceptions Index (Transparency International) and the Environmental Performance Index (Yale & Columbia Universities).

Paper recovery rates in North America continue to be among the highest in the world.  At 66% – 70% recovery rate, in the U.S. and Canada respectively, the amount of paper being recycled continues to increase. These rates are significantly higher than other materials and products such as glass, plastic, metals, and electronics.

Click here to download and read the entire Fact Sheet.

About Two Sides

Two Sides is an independent, nonprofit organization created to promote the sustainability of print and paper.  Two Sides is active globally in North America, Europe, Australia, South Africa, and Brazil. Our members span the entire print and paper value chain, including forestry, pulp, paper, inks and chemicals, pre-press, press, finishing, publishing, printing, envelopes, and postal operators.  For more information about Two Sides North America, please contact us at 1-855-896-7433 or info@twosidesna.org. Visit the Two Sides website at www.twosidesna.org and follow Two Sides on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.