Does papermaking cause rainforest destruction?
According to Friends of the Earth the main causes of rainforest destruction are unsustainable and illegal logging for timber and pulp, the replacement of forests by cash crops or plantations and the expansion of urban areas, roads and other construction projects. Most of the trees found in rainforests do not provide suitable fiber for paper pulp. So, wood fiber for paper usually originates from managed forests and plantations where new trees are planted to replace those cut down. Papermaking takes off cuts, sawmill residue and thinning (small trees removed from the forest so that others can grow) that are not suitable for other uses such as construction. However, there have been cases where rainforest has been cleared to make way for plantations that provide fiber for papermaking.
