Print your emails and save a forest

Like a lot of tree-huggers, a few years ago I began to include a tagline on my email signature that said “Please Print Responsibly.”

This politically correct sentiment preys on the notion that wood is a limited resource and that wasting trees despoils the environment.

Until recently, every time I printed an email I would feel conflicted and hypocritical. Not all of them really had to be printed, but I suppose I have a subconscious distrust that the electrons creating the ones and zeros that comprise the emails stored on my computer's hard drive will all still be there tomorrow.

A sheet of paper has reassuring substance.

It was a welcome revelation for me to discover that avoiding the email print option arguably does nothing to save our planet or forests. That's assuming you take a little care when purchasing your paper products by making sure they come from a renewable, sustainable source.

It's almost impossible to live in Iowa without being aware of the importance of corn, soybeans and other cash crops to our economy. A lot of us don't think about trees the same way, but to commercial landowners they are a crop like any other in the sense that they can be grown, harvested and sold if the market exists.

Perversely, over-conservation - if it can be called that - of wood products can indirectly lead to forests becoming developed land or converted to other uses because America's forest landowners can't be expected to continue growing trees without having healthy markets for them.

A few quick facts:

•  Although there are more trees in America today that there were 100 years ago, half of the rest of the world's forests have been cleared or burned.
•  The United States is the largest market for paper products in the world, producing 90 million tons of paper annually.
•  Roughly 25 percent by volume of timber cut every year in the United States is used for paper production.
•  Virgin fiber is still a significant requirement, as only 37 percent of current consumption is met by using recycled fiber.

A traditional approach for a business trying to become environmentally responsible is to begin purchasing paper with recycled content. That's great as far as it goes, but typically only 30 percent to 50 percent of the wood fiber used in manufacturing it can come from recycling, primarily due to cost and quality constraints.

For all we know, the virgin wood fiber that is needed to make up the difference is sourced from endangered rain forests in third-world countries, using trees tended by enslaved baby harp seals.

Not really, but you get the idea. Your most “green” option is to use certified sustainably sourced paper with some recycled content.

A close second choice is the same paper with no recycled content, and the quality is arguably better because the paper is made from 100 percent virgin pulp.

Look for third-party forest certifications on your paper products. They signify a commitment by landowners, manufacturers, printers and others in the supply chain to use only wood fiber from forests that are being responsibly managed, and to preserve community-level benefits for people near the forests that provide your paper.

As you can guess, the issue of recycled content paper versus sustainably produced paper is more complicated than I am making it sound. There are differences in the chemical treatment and energy usage involved in the manufacturing of each that make it difficult to declare a clear winner.

My point is that forest management in the production of the wood used in paper manufacturing is becoming more important environmentally than even the use of recycled fiber.

So consider buying the right paper and changing your email tagline to: “It's OK to print this email. No, I don't care what you've been told. Paper is made from a renewable, recyclable, biodegradable and sustainable product. Growing and harvesting trees provides jobs for millions of Americans while providing cleaner air and water, wildlife habitat and carbon storage. Really.”