So, you wish to stop or at least reduce the activities responsible for pollution

Save Paper!
Seems great idea! Isnt it? But, how?

Dont Use Tissue!

Yes! Good idea. You decide that after a heavy meal, you would stop using tissue paper to wipe off your hands. Thank You for the same. Ill also try my best to follow the same. But

Are You Using Soap?

If you are going to use soap for cleaning your hands, please think twice. The soap, after cleaning your hands, goes to drain. This is going to contaminate the soil and the groundwater. Remember, often the weight of soap used for washing hands is nearly equal to the weight of tissue. I am sure there is no Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) going to treat this water.

Ok. Use a Handkerchief.

Well, seems a better option. Handkerchief can be reused again and again after washing. The only problem is What do you use for washing? Soap or detergent or something else? Again with plenty of water. Environment wise, is it really different from washing your hands with soap?

Tissue Paper! Its Better.

Please do suggest me some better options so that I may stop using tissue after a delicious meal.

Toilet Tissue
Isnt the situation same with toilet tissue? For nearly 10-12gms of tissue, for the production of same 100-200ml water would have been used. In the conventional system, we use nearly 500-800ml water. Then, nearly 2-2.5gms of soap along with nearly 500-800ml water is required to wash our hands.

Toilet Tissue: Not so bad!

Now, under this situation, decide yourself whether using toilet tissue is so bad an idea? To me, it appears that toilet tissue is a more environment friendly option.

O.K. Let us try something else.

Stop reading newspaper. At least the printed version. A lot of paper can be saved. Wow!

Newspaper
What are the alternatives? E-paper, T.V., Radio. But, if you are watching TV or listening to radio, you cannot save important things easily. Internet is over-flooded with information and to search something useful to me is a little difficult.

Example.
My son is appearing in board examinations, and I get every day a sample paper for him in my daily newspaper. I tried to get the same from internet. But, there are so many sample papers that I got confused which to choose, which to download. My newspaper might not be giving the best sample paper, but at least it can be trusted to be good.

Newspaper is economical too.

I consider the cost of newspaper as the price of newspaper less the price of waste paper generated after reading newspaper. If I consider cost of internet connection (on the proportional usage basis), cost of electricity required to switch on computer, cost of occasional printouts etc., newspaper is still cheaper.

Reduce Printing of e-mails

Well, this part is too common to be told to anyone. Unfortunately, I rarely take a printout. I have tried to spread this message, but was unable to find a person who takes out printouts without necessity. Do you know somebody who takes out printouts unless really necessary?

So, you are using a piece of paper!

and still feeling guilty that trees are being cut to make paper. You feel yourself responsible for environmental damage. Read on.

How much paper do you use?

In India, average specific paper consumption is to the tune of 8-10kg per person per year. What is the consumption by other persons in the world?

How much paper do others use?

Against India, the world average is around 30-35kg paper per person per year. In many developed countries, this figure is in the tune of 400-500kg.

Why?
Indians are very conservative by nature. You would find even rich people here using back side of envelopes for writing small points for themselves. In India, we strongly believe that
Nothing Should be Wasted

Paper from Tree only?

Let us come back to the point. In India, do you know most of the paper is made either from waste paper, or from agricultural residues e.g. bagasse, rice straw etc.?

New Paper Mills:

Do you know that during past 10 years there is hardly any paper production capacity increase in India using wood as raw material?

Paper from Wood?

In INDIA wood is used only for less than 810% of paper. That means for any paper you are using, there are less than 10% chances that a tree had to be cut to make this paper.

Captive Plantation
Furthermore, most mills using wood as a raw material have their own forests, and use captive plantation for their needs. These mills grow desired number of trees that would be required by them after say 8 or 10 years. This way, these mills cannot be called responsible for tree cutting.

Some Calculations?
If you use 10kg paper per year, you would require around 600kg for the whole of your life. One tree is more than sufficient for same amount of paper.

One Tree = Paper for 20

But, if you consider use of waste paper and agricultural residues for paper making, and also keep in mind about the captive plantation, just one tree is enough to meet your paper requirements for 20 life spans of you.

Save Paper
If you choose to use less paper, that would be still better. But, is it not something like suggesting only an diabetic person to stop eating chocolates but ignoring when he is eating sweets? Is it not a time to ask other industries e.g. furniture, to do some sacrifice?

SAVE PAPER, SAVE EARTH?

On a rough estimate, we use at least 8-10 times wood for furniture than paper. Are we really ready for wood-free furniture (e.g. steel furniture) or less-wood furniture? How many of us are really willing to even think of steel doors and windows rather than wooden one for our homes and offices?

What an IDEA Sirji?

Mobile companies are showing that they are the only real well-wishers of environment. But Should it be done by blaming others? Should we not ask them why the birds are disappearing from trees which are near mobile towers?

NEED Vs. GREED

Have you ever cared for environment while ordering new furniture? The earth has sufficient for everybodys need. But, not for everybodys GREED. Think! Are you becoming part of masses who pretend to care for earth.

An Appeal
Indian Paper Industry is using world class technologies for paper manufacture as well as for pollution abatement, and is concerned about the environment. STOP blaming paper industry without any valid reason.

Thank You.