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Tissue paper production – following sustainable practices for over 100 years
The tissue paper industry has always had to take a sustainable, long-term approach. Its raw material - wood pulp - is made from a renewable resource with a 50-year growing cycle, and the sector regrows and regenerates it through sustainable forestry practices.
Today, responsible consumption and production are enshrined in UN Sustainable Development Goal 12, and while the tissue paper industry has had a head start it is certainly not complacent.
The overwhelming majority of pulp purchased by the European paper industry is certified by an environmental management system and so meets nationally and internationally recognised standards. Some products also choose to carry environmental labels such as the EU Ecolabel, FSC and PEFC labels.
The sector has reduced greenhouse gas emissions significantly as it transfers to renewable energy and now some 58% of the energy consumed by Europe's pulp and paper industry comes from renewable biomass. It is also proud to be Europe's single largest user and producer of bio-energy.
Modern paper making machines have reduced water consumption too due to more efficient water circulation. The amount of water needed to produce one tonne of pulp has fallen by over 30% in the past decade and five-fold since the 1970s.
Tissue paper producers are adopting new, circular business models and creating closed-loop products and processes. They are eliminating waste by reducing packaging and increasing the use of recycled content while innovating to produce products that use less material for the same functionality.
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