Paper is the ultimate recyclable product, while trees are the ultimate renewable natural resource. And here in North America, we grow many more trees than we harvest every year.
In fact, there are more trees in North America now than 100 years ago. Most trees are harvested to make forest products like lumber, with less than 36% of North America’s annual timber harvest directly used for making paper and paperboard.
Paper is now one of the most recycled materials on the planet, with recovery rates of 65% and higher in the U.S. and Canada. It can be recycled 5-7 times before the wood fibers break down, which is why we’ll always need virgin wood fiber from sustainably managed forests.
Wondering how trees are transformed into paper and other forest products you use every day? Download this fun infographic from Two Sides to get an accurate depiction of how paper is made.
