Why Tissue Paper is
THE SMART CHOICE for a Sustainable World
COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY ACROSS THE SUPPLY CHAIN
ETS is committed to driving sustainable practices throughout the industry . It is also looking to increase sustainability across the supply chain – from water and energy through to transport and recovery . Tissue paper production ensures that every part of the raw material – trees – is put to good use . It uses mainly bark and twigs from the lumber industry which are made into pulp that is the basis of tissue paper .
SUPPORTING CERTIFICATION SCHEMES
Third-party certification is one of the best ways to ensure that suppliers meet recognised standards . It lends credibility to the sector and offers reassurance to both customers and consumers . Most tissue producers support the different international and national forest certification schemes and over 80 % of the forests owned by paper and lumber companies in Europe are certified . Some tissue producers have chosen to carry labels on their products in order to show their high environmental credentials – such as the EU Ecolabel , the FSC and PEFC labels and regional labels including Nordic Swan and Blue Angel . The paper sector is also signatory to the Legal Logging Code of Conduct which condemns illegal logging . The EU timber regulation furthermore upholds industry standards and ensures that only products from legally sourced wood are sold within the EU . Some 11 % of timber felled in the world is used to make paper , and 83 % of Europe ’ s paper mills are certified by an environmental management system .
SUPPORTING THE EU AND UN GOALS
Tissue paper producers are active supporters of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan – a key building block of the European Green Deal , which has a number of sustainability targets including transforming the EU into a modern and competitive economy . The goal of the Action Plan is sustainable growth and it lays special focus on resource efficiency with more waste prevention , reuse and recycling and the phasing out of wasteful practices like landfill . This goal of enabling sustainable consumption and production is also reflected in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 : Responsible consumption and production . Tissue products have an important role to play here . They are essential for people ’ s health and hygiene . While paper is the most recycled material in Europe , with recycling rates of over 70 %, tissue paper , because of its applications in toilet paper , tissues etc , is usually a single-use product which typically goes to waste after use . Tissue products nevertheless fit neatly into existing waste management schemes and can in many cases provide a benefit such as incineration with energy recovery or composting .
DRIVING CIRCULARITY UP AND DOWN THE VALUE CHAIN
Many tissue paper producers are supporting the development of new , circular business models using innovation to create closed-loop products and processes . This will serve to increase product recovery and minimise waste . There is a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions , transferring to renewable energy and decreasing water use . Some 58 % of Europe ’ s pulp and paper industry ’ s energy consumption already comes from renewable biomass , and it is proud to be the largest single user and producer of bio-energy in Europe .
The sector also continues to work on reducing its impact on water consumption and is an active partner in the development of water stewardship . Paper making machines have reduced water consumption by 30 % over the past 10 years as a result of more efficient water circulation , and the amount of water needed to produce one ton of pulp has fallen five-fold since 1970 . Many individual producers are promoting zero waste to landfill , eliminating waste , reducing packaging weight and fostering recyclable packaging and the use of recycled content . They are also exploring innovation in product design and development . In the area of ‘ reduce ’, the industry is seeing the emergence of new products that use less material for the same functionality . It is also witnessing new sustainable products that use fresh , wood-based fibre , recycled fibres and alternative fibres . It is important to promote circularity in this regard in order to increase the availability of paper for recycling as a secondary raw material . Recycling plays an important role in the sustainability of the paper cycle . Tissue paper producers are working together with their packaging suppliers to turn waste into a resource through collection , sorting and recycling .
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