Most paper comes from wood pulp . Chemical pulping is the most widely used way to create paper. It has many downsides. About half of the wood pulp created by this process goes into paper, the other half is the leftover chemical waste which is usually burned. Most of this pollution is put into water bodies where these wood pulp mills are often located.
Pulp is the fifth largest consumer of energy in industry.
It is corporations with large timber holding that account for much of the deforestation that is going on world wide. Making one ton of paper needs at least 2-3.5 tons of wood, according to the World Watch Institute . To me, these numbers seem pretty high. Habitats are being destroyed left and right, homes of animals and indigenous people are being turned into shopping bags, paper towels, notebooks, newspapers, and toiletries. Not only are we clearing natural areas, but we are also suffocating ourselves.