Paper, the victim of many inaccurate claims

We’ve all heard of companies that have embarked on the “paperless” trend. The aim is to protect the environment and promote sustainable development. Many of them have proliferated and relayed sometimes inaccurate statements about the use of paper in everyday life and its harmful impact on the environment.

Are these campaigns against the use of paper well-directed? Or are they the result of myths obscuring reality?
Many of these false claims are based on the premise that cutting down trees destroys forests and harms the environment. To create paper, you need wood, which is obtained by cutting down trees, working them and transforming them. But not just any old way.

However, as part ofsustainable forest management and development, it is beneficial to remove some of the trees and replant new ones. This allows properly managedforests to expand and become denser. Furthermore, digital communication is far from neutral in terms of its impact on the environment.

Is 100% digital possible and really beneficial?

It’s difficult for a company to switch completely from paper to digital. It requires employees to change their habits and set up a completely new organisation. What’s more, consumers have to approve and follow this change, which is not as ecologically sustainable as it might seem. Information and communication technologies generate the world’s sixth largest demand for electricity.

Paper remains the preferred medium for consumers, and its use is still firmly entrenched in their habits. Many of them don’t have the reflex or the inclination to go through their e-mails to find out about company advertising and information. The most frequently consulted advertisements are still those we receive in paper format in our letterboxes.

Paper and digital both have a role to play in thefuture of sustainable development. And the “paperless” objective is still very difficult for companies to achieve. The TWO SIDES organisation has proved that it is not as effective as previously thought.

Studies point the finger at poor information in companies

Studies carried out by TWO SIDES, a global organisation dedicated to debunking these inaccurate claims, prove that companies are communicating poorly on this aspect of sustainable development. According to the initiative, 78% of the companies surveyed run campaigns that include false information about the effects of using paper.

TWO SIDES succeeded in persuading 61% of global companies to stop spreading environmental misinformation. It is necessary to act today in the interests of sustainable development and the conservation of resources. So paper has become the scapegoat for a much more global and complex problem.

All the surveys are available on the association’s website.

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