Paper Trails: From Trees to Trash―The True Cost of Paper

by Mandy Haggith

Paper charts the course of life, from the medical sheets in maternity wards to death certificates. It is written on, things are packaged in it, it’s used as currency, and people blow their noses on it. Yet the dependence on this seemingly “green” product is damaging the planet and creating mountains of unnecessary waste. This exploration journeys to the heart of the global paper industry, traveling from the pristine forests and managed plantations of Canada, Russia, and Indonesia to the pulp mills and paper factories of China and Britain, and the end users in businesses, governments, schools, and homes throughout the world. Pursuing the paper trail from forest to landfill, it uncovers the origins, multiple uses, and disposal of this everyday product and gives a fascinating new perspective on the paper industry’s dirtiest secrets, from environmental devastation to human rights abuses. The truth about the paper that is used every day is given as are the simple, practical steps to can take to minimize a person’s own paper trail.

Genres: Nonfiction

244 pages, Paperback

First published July 3, 2008

Reviews

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paper Trails is a thoroughly depressing book. Like many reports on pressing environmental topics, it charts humanity's destruction of one of the world's most used and abused natural resources; paper, and it really does make for some miserable reading. Yet, it's essential to know thy enemy, if you are to try and confront/change it, so it's important to dive in and explore how normal consumers can attempt to change the status quo. In fact, the last chapter offers some useful advice for this.

For those studying environmental and social policies/activism, Paper Trails is a wealth of accessible knowledge which provides an excellent starting point to the vast global subject of paper production.