Does the production of paper trays consume large amounts of forest resources?

1. Current impacts of paper trays on forest resources

The production of paper trays (e.g. brown paper trays) used to puts pressure on forest resources due to the reliance on virgin wood pulp. However, the industry has gradually shifted to a sustainable development model, using scientifically managed plantation forests to ensure a balance between felling and replanting; at the same time, the application ratio of 30%-100% recycled pulp has been increasing, and recycling of waste paper for pulp production has reduced the direct demand for virgin wood.

2. Key Measures to Reduce Forest Consumption

Promoting non-wood fibre raw materials is an important way to reduce forest dependence. Bagasse, as a by-product of the sugar industry, can replace 0.5 tonnes of wood per tonne, and now accounts for 15-20% of the raw materials for paper trays worldwide; bamboo, which can be made into wood in 3-5 years, has become an emerging choice for China's lunch box industry, with an annual growth rate of 25% in production capacity; and the reuse of agricultural wastes, such as wheat straw and reeds, avoids pollution from incineration and opens up new paths for raw materials. At the level of circular economy, the average proportion of recycled pulp in paper trays in EU countries reaches 50%, and some brands achieve 100% use, and the production of 1 tonne of recycled pulp reduces energy consumption by 30% and wastewater discharge by 50% compared with virgin pulp, significantly reducing the environmental load. There is no need to worry that the use of brown paper trays will exceed the environmental load.

3. Environmental Advantages of Paper Trays

The environmental advantages of paper trays are obvious: pure paper products can be degraded in the natural environment in 3-6 months, far better than the hundreds of years cycle of plastic; life cycle assessment shows that their carbon emissions are 30%-50% lower than plastic. So, brown paper trays are environmentally friendly.

The production of paper trays is not necessarily dependent on large amounts of forest resources, through the application of recycled pulp and non-wood fibres, etc., is to guard the forest ecosystem with consumer behaviour, contributing to environmental goals.