Wise with Waste Wisdoms: SHARE of agricultural waste rises TO 85%
The share of agricultural waste in PaperWise White—the white sustainable graphic PaperWise paper in 80, 90, and 110 grams—has risen to >85%. At our launch in 2015, the share of plant residues was still 55%. Together with the paper mill, PaperWise has succeeded in significantly increasing the percentage of agricultural waste! Yay! In our mission to further enhance the sustainability of the paper industry, PaperWise continues to innovate and improve. How did we achieve this step?
First, back to our mission: we want to achieve both social and environmental gains by no longer burning agricultural waste, but by giving it a second life as a raw material for PaperWise paper and paperboard. It works like this: poor farmers in developing countries currently only receive money for the food that grows on the food crops, i.e., for the edible part of the plant. This is only 20% of the total plant! The remaining 80%, the stems and leaves, are often burned, which leads to environmental pollution, deterioration of soil quality, and smog formation.
But this does not apply to the farmers responsible for the raw materials of PaperWise. The agricultural waste from these farmers is not burned, but collected to be used as a raw material for PaperWise paper and paperboard. This means these farmers get paid for 100% of the plant! A higher yield for the farmers contributes to greater prosperity. So, by choosing PaperWise paper and paperboard for your sustainable packaging and printing, or by using PaperWise in the office (for example, environmentally friendly printing and copying paper, notepads, and drinking cups), you give value to the 80% plant residues (stems and leaves) and contribute to social and environmental gains!
What challenge do we still face?
Our goal is to keep innovating and improving. We are very proud that we succeeded in increasing the share of agricultural waste in PaperWise White from 55% to > 85%; however, there is still room for improvement. Fortunately, PaperWise Natural, our unbleached light brown paper and paperboard, already consists of 100% agricultural waste. But there is more. PaperWise does not yet have direct influence on the chain from farmer to PaperWise. These contacts go through the paper mills and farmers’ cooperatives. PaperWise wants to gain influence over the chain in order to develop policies together with poor farmers (cooperatives) to promote the prosperity and well-being of this group of people.
With PaperWise, you contribute to a responsible future
Help us and apply PaperWise where necessary for all your environmentally friendly packaging, printing, and office paper. In this way, we make our society more sustainable together and give maximum fulfillment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Together, Wise With Waste!
