Earthday Tip #3 - Source paper that is close to your final destination. Transporting goods, especially heavy products like paper, requires significant amounts of energy, which should be factored into your sustainability decisions. Using a recycled paper is good, but not if it has to be transported halfway around the world. A typical ocean-borne container ship produces 1,190 lbs. of CO2 to transport one ton of cargo 7,000 miles. To be truly responsible, you should be looking at every aspect of the transportation associated with your project, from paper shipments to distribution. Keep in mind that aircraft account for about 12 percent of all CO2 emissions in the United States, and ocean-borne ships are responsible for approximately three percent of all emissions worldwide.
This is great advice - I know a lot of designers who would love to source paper manufactured closer to their point of use! Trouble is, it's near impossible to get paper retailers, distributors, and mills to disclose any real info about the manufacturing and supply chain. Real transparency in the industry is still sorely lacking, and until we tackle that elephant in the room it's going to be tough to put the burden of research on the designer (or other paper specifier).
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