For Cartiera San Giorgio, sustainability is a fundamental value, and we are committed every day to building a more environmentally friendly future. We are aware of the environmental impact of paper production and actively seek advanced solutions to produce our parent rolls in the most ecologically friendly manner possible. This is our priority and lies at the core of our business.
We fully recognize that paper manufacturing is an industrial process with significant implications for the environment due to its high consumption of natural resources, energy, and the use of pollutants. These are challenges our industry must address, prompting the crucial question: What is the environmental impact of paper production?
In this article, we delve into the topic through our continuous process improvements, investment in research and development of innovative technologies and sustainable materials, constant optimization of energy consumption, and minimizing production waste.
Sustainable raw materials: our choice for low environmental impact
The first factor influencing the environmental impact of paper production is undoubtedly the choice of raw materials. Every serious effort towards sustainability must start here.
At Cartiera San Giorgio, we strongly emphasize the use of recycled paper, the most sustainable raw material for producing new paper.
Over 95% of the fibers destined to become parent rolls in recycled paper come from recycled paper.
The recycled paper we select comes from carefully chosen suppliers, ensuring the quality and uniformity of the supplied recycled material, categorized as required. Our significant emphasis on recycled paper as a primary raw material is the foundation of our commitment to reducing environmental impact. Thanks to recycled paper, we can produce high-quality parent rolls, safeguarding the environment with a truly eco-friendly approach.
Virgin fibers from certified forests to reduce the environmental impact
Paper production can have a considerable environmental and social impact, especially when using virgin fibers from tree felling. Minimizing this impact is crucial for sustainable production. Ensuring that the wood used comes from responsibly managed and certified forests is a crucial aspect.
This involves:
- Protecting natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and endangered species in forest areas
- Safeguarding the rights and livelihoods of local communities dependent on forests
- Planning tree cutting and replanting to ensure forest renewal over time
Forest certifications ensure these standards are adhered to, assessing and monitoring forest management practices.
At Cartiera San Giorgio, we pay utmost attention to the sustainable origin of virgin fibers. We source only from FSC® and PEFC certified forests, managed according to rigorous environmental and social protection criteria. This allows us to minimize the impact of our operations, producing parent rolls in a way that is compatible with the preservation of natural resources and local communities.
The choice of certified forests is therefore a non-negotiable condition for a socially and environmentally responsible paper mill.
What is the environmental impact of paper production?
The production of paper significantly impacts the environment, not only due to the extensive consumption of raw materials but also the involved industrial processes.
The production phase requires substantial amounts of energy, generating CO2 emissions and other atmospheric pollutants. The use of solvents, chemical additives, and other substances can also have negative repercussions on the environment.
All these factors contribute to determining the ecological footprint of the paper mill’s activity. In Cartiera San Giorgio, we are aware that paper production has an environmental impact that we must strive to minimize as much as possible. Through continuous interventions on our machinery, we install high-efficiency motors, steam recovery systems, and advanced control systems for the entire production process.
These ongoing innovations allow us to achieve several benefits:
- Reduction of electrical and thermal energy consumption, with lower withdrawals from the grid
- Recovery and reuse of heat generated by processes, enhancing overall efficiency
- Precise monitoring of energy, water, and raw material consumption to optimize their use
- Reduction of polluting emissions into the environment
The continuous improvement of our production processes, from technologies to packaging and transport, focuses on innovation, efficiency, and environmental respect. The environmental impact of paper production is a matter we take very seriously. We are constantly seeking methods and technologies to reduce our environmental footprint without compromising the quality of our products.
If you would like to learn more about how we pursue these goals through innovation, energy efficiency, and intelligent resource use, feel free to contact us. We would be happy to share our projects and the solutions we have implemented to minimize the environmental impact of paper production.
