Print is made from paper, a completely renewable resource. Fifty-six percent of all the forested land in the United States is privately owned,^[1] and nearly all the domestic wood used in the production of paper comes from trees grown on these privately-owned “tree farms.”^[2] Print helps give private landowners a financial incentive to grow trees and not sell off their land for other uses.^[3] Print helps husband and marshal the perpetuation of forests and forest products.

^[1]Agricultural Marketing Resource.
^[2]Ibid.
^[3]Edward L. Glaeser, Professor of Economics, Harvard University, “A road map for Environmentalism,” Boston Globe, May 21, 2007.

In the U.S. about 2/3 of all fiber used to make paper is derived from recycled paper and residue from forest and sawmill operations.^[1] In addition, most forests are managed responsibly, and an increasing number of forests are certified by third-party, responsible forest management organizations and governmental regulatory agencies. Print helps give private landowners a financial incentive to grow trees and not sell off their land for other uses.^[2] In the U.S., both the area of land dedicated to growing trees and the amount of timber grown on that land is greater today than it was in the 1950s.^[3]

^[1]EPA Paper FAQ.
^[2]Glaeser, op, cit.
^[3]Smith, W. Brad, tech. coord.; Miles, Patrick D., data coord.; Perry, Charles H., map coord.; Pugh, Scott A., Data CD coord. 2009. Forest Resources of the United States, 2007. Gen. Tech. Rep. WO-78. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington Office.

Over the past 25 years, the amount of paper and paperboard that is recycled has been steadily increasing from 38.7% in 1993 to 44.5% in 1999 and 63.4% in 2009.^[1] In 2008, just 21% of paper and paperboard material was discarded in the municipal waste stream. Measured by percentage of generation, total paper (excluding paperboard) accounts for under 13% of the material waste disposal.^[2]

^[1]EPA Office of Solid Waste.
^[2]Ibid.

In 2009, the printing and publishing industry accounted for only 0.29% of total chemicals released by U.S. industry.^[1] Many new print technologies are emerging that reduce the use of chemicals, including low or no-chemistry plate development, vegetable-based inks and isopropyl-free fountain solutions.

^[1]TRI On-site and Off-site Reported Disposed of or Otherwise Released (in pounds), for All Chemicals, By Industry, U.S., 2008.

All communication has an environmental impact. Energy is required to power electronic communication, both to run individual consumer electronics and to power the servers that store electronic information 24/7. The majority of electricity in the U.S. is derived from non-renewable fossil fuels.^[1] In contrast, the pulp and paper industry is the largest producer and user of renewable energy sources based on wood, according to the United Nations.^[2] In the U.S. about 65% of the energy used to make paper comes from renewable energy sources.^[3]

^[1]U.S. Energy Information Administration, Net Generation by Energy Source:Total (All Sectors), September 10, 2010.
^[2]United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Forest Products Annual Review, 2008.
^[3]AF&PA, Sustainability Report, 2010.