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In 2009, the US consumed 5.7 million tons of newsprint.
Although the newspaper industry is using less
newsprint each year as more readers access their news online, it
still uses nearly 4 million metric tons of virgin fiber each
year.
Given the magnitude of the industry, the environmental impacts
are significant. Production of the newsprint used in the US in 2009:
- Consumed 9.5 million tons of wood -- equivalent to 67 million trees.
- Generated 86 billion gallons of wastewater -- enough to fill 130,000 swimming pools.
- Required 154 trillion BTUs -- enough to meet the energy needs of 1.7 million homes per year.
- Created 8.6 billion pounds of waste -- enough to fill 309,000 garbage trucks.
- And emitted 26 million tons of greenhouse gases* -- equivalent to the emissions of 2.9 million cars/year
*Calculation based on Environmental Defense
Paper calculator and the addition of forest carbon loss.
At the same time, the massive scale of its impacts places the
newspaper industry in a unique position to help curb climate
change and conserve endangered forests through the
transformation of its practices.
Building on our success in the book industry, and in partnership
with Canopy, Green Press
Initiative is committed to
collaborating with mills, printers, and publishers to bring
about this change.
Read the Newspaper Industry Environmental Vision.
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