The expanding paper universe…
But, really, how much paper are we using and printing ? Well, I tried to find an answer but could not find a definite one. Still, but a few sites give a hint as to how vertiginous that consumption is…
Take a look at a few of GreenPrint’s facts on printing:
- “The average U.S. office worker prints 10,000 pages per year”
- The U.S. is by far the world’s largest producer and consumer of paper. Per capita U.S. paper consumption is over six times greater than the world average. “
- “Production of 1 ton of copy paper uses 11,134 kWh (same amount of energy used by an avg household in 10 months) [..] and produces 19,075 gallons of waste water, 2,278 lb of solid waste, and 5,690 lb. of green house gases.”
More information is also available on PaperCalculator.org.
And now for the punchline – it is estimated that 49 trillion pages were printed last year!
This is why Xerox and other responsible manufacturers are so active about the environment, with the development of new products, policies, and active waste management… Wishing everyone was so careful about the environment !
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