Humans cut down 15 billion trees annually, and about 40 percent of those (nearly six billion) are used to produce pulp and paper. This makes the paper and pulp industry one of the major buyers of harvested wood and the biggest contributor to deforestation.
“Unsustainable pulp and paper operations have contributed to the conversion of high conservation value forests, illegal harvesting, human rights and social conflicts, and irresponsible plantation development,” the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) stated in a report.
Unfortunately, paper products are almost irreplaceable for now. From your company’s brochure to your toilet paper roll, many things you use daily come from paper and pulp.
However, there are ways to make paper without cutting down trees.
For instance, a startup called Releaf Paper has developed an innovative method to manufacture paper from the dead leaves that naturally fall from trees. Their approach enables them to produce one tonne of cellulose …