Paper

Facts

• Every year, around 405 million tonnes of paper and paperboard are produced, totalling roughly 13-15% of total wood consumption. (SOURCE).
• With demand for paper products increasing, global production could double by 2050 (SOURCE).
• Paper production sector is the fourth largest industry when it comes to energy consumption, and requires a significant amount of water, depending on the efficiency of the mill - using more water than other industries such as steel and petrol. (SOURCE).
• 80% of UK paper is made from recovered substances (SOURCE).
   

Key Points

Could recycled materials be used?

If it’s recycled paper what percentage is disclosed recycled content? Try to purchase the product with the highest proportion of recycled material.

Paper supply chains frequently lack the transparency found in timber

Which makes them more difficult to track and necessitates more rigorous questioning.

What’s the provenance? 

Wood pulp used in paper production might originate from forests lacking reforestation programs or from illegal logging.

If the paper is made from virgin material

Is it certified as coming from a sustainable forest? FSC, PEFC or the EU Ecolabel? If yes, ask for details of forest certification and supply chain information. 

Avoid FSC Mix 

Which is from simply 'controlled' rather than forest management certified sources.

Don’t buy it

If it doesn’t have a certification and the supplier is claiming it to be sustainable, ask for evidence as to what makes it sustainable. If a supplier can’t provide this proof, avoid buying from them.

Understand compliance

UK Timber Regulations and EU Timber Regulations (in Northern Ireland) apply to wallpaper and wallcoverings that contain timber or pulp/paper, as these are considered timber products under the regulations.  See TIMBER for more information on record keeping for importers and operators, and traders

Support good brands

That prioritise transparency and sustainable sourcing. Certification is not always accessible to smaller brands so use your discretion.

Use of paper as wallcovering

It has human and ecological health benefits.  Paper is vapor-permeable helping indoor air quality - and providing its pure paper and without toxic coatings or inks, it safely disposed of at the end of its life. In comparison, vinyl (PVC) wallcovering can release harmful chemicals during use and when incinerated at end of life and will not compost safely. Alternatives other than FSC-certified paper, are woven or grasscloth coverings (jute, sisal, seagrass, hemp), non-woven cellulose wallcoverings, and PVC-free performance textiles such as Xorel or its bio-based, sugarcane-derived version. For more information on PVC wallcoverings - see PLASTIC.

Look for wallpapers certified by health related schemes

Such as Greenguard, Cradle to Cradle Certified®, OEKO-TEX or EU Ecolabel often restrict toxic substances and VOC emissions. 

Look for products with transparency to enable informed decision making

Health Product Declaration® (HPD) is like an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) but focuses on chemical ingredients and associated health hazards of building products