Overcoming hurdles in paper industry

Environmental myths about paper still persist. However, paper traders and manufacturers are up in arms to counter the myths with their business growth and enduring love for print.

Despite several hurdles, such as the one which came in the form of 10% import duty on newsprint, bigwigs from the paper industry say that paper business is set to grow. During the Paper Day celebrations in New Delhi, Dr Ashwani Mahajan, national co-convener of Swadeshi Jagran Manch, said, “Despite all these talks about digital, paper will survive, no questions about it.”

RC Rastogi, president of Indian Recycled Paper Mills Association, said, “With the rising tide against the use of plastic, paper can be viable alternative if we can find an alternative to poly-coating used in items like paper cups.”

Wholesale traders in Chennai are slowly making the transition from plastic to paper to manufacture flags for Independence Day. This comes after the Centre’s advisory against the use of plastic on national flags and the state government’s recent drive against single-use plastics.

Meanwhile, a Bengaluru-based startup, Seed Paper India, has opted for a unique way to celebrate Independence Day; using plantable flags made from seed papers. The seed flag is be made from handmade paper, which uses discarded cotton fibres, and has tulsi seeds embedded in it.

According to a report by UK-based Two Sides, the European pulp and paper industry produces original bio-based products using wood, a renewable material. It is also said to be the biggest single industrial user and producer of renewable energy in the EU; 60% of the industry’s total fuels consumption is biomass-based.

This busts one of the myths associated with paper: ‘paper production is a major cause of global greenhouse gas emissions’.

Our view: Paper is Green!