New Trend Tracker Survey 2023 from Two Sides clearly shows that, whilst paper retains its place as a vital communication and packaging material, misconceptions remain about the environmental impact.
The study found 60% of European consumers perceive forests are decreasing in size, improving from 64% in 2021. The truth is, European forests grew between 2005 and 2020 by 58,390km2 – an area larger than Switzerland, equivalent of 1,500 football pitches every day.
Only 18% of European consumers understood the paper recycling rate exceeded 60%, again improving alightly from 16% in Europe’s paper recycling rate is currently 74%, with paper packaging even higher at 83%. In 2020, a total of 56 million tonnes of paper was collected and recycled in Europe.
An executive summary of the Trend Tracker Research 2023 will be published in May and available to industry stakeholders. The Two Sides campaign challenges companies’Greenwashing, making misleading statements like going paperless saves the planet. It provides facts, through its popular Myths and Facts and Packaging booklets, along with more detailed fact sheets in most European languages, for printers and the wider supply chain to help inform their customers with the positive messages that paper products are natural, renewable and fossil free materials. Intergraf supports Two Sides by promoting the important research and supporting them with expertise in their Sustainability Working Group.
Source – Intergraf May 2023