There is a need to promote the use of paper for environmental protection: IPMA

Paper is one of the most environmentally friendly products. Paper is biodegradable and recyclable and is made from resources that are renewable and sustainable. The use of paper in the work related to education, packaging, e-commerce and sanitation etc. is more environmentally friendly than other alternatives. Its use needs to be encouraged. Indian Paper Manufacturers Association (IPMA) said this on the occasion of Environment Day. IPMA general secretary Rohit Pandit said, “The argument that forests are cut to make paper and cause environmental damage is completely baseless. The truth is that the wood used to make paper is grown exclusively by farmers for paper. For this the forest is not cut. The paper industry has worked with the farmers towards planting more and more trees under agro-forestry.
Planting trees for paper has provided employment to lakhs of farmers in rural areas. About 5 lakh farmers are earning a living from this agro-forestry initiative. Shri Pandit further informed that the green cover of the country has increased due to agro-forestry of paper industry. So far, the paper industry has done pulpwood plantation on 1.2 million hectares of less fertile land in the country. In this way, the use of paper is good for the environment.

According to the IPMA, the working process of the paper industry has completely changed over the years. Today the industry is more innovative and is providing a wide variety of products for use in e-commerce, FMCG, pharmaceuticals, food packaging etc.

The advent of new technology has also ensured that better quality paper is being produced today. It is also possible to tailor products to meet the specific needs of retail and institutional customers looking for eco-friendly options.