It is OK to Print Out an E-mail

It has become commonplace to say that not printing an email can "save a tree." But the truth is a little more complicated than that.

More than half the forests in the USA are under private ownership. Many of these forests are under sustainable management that provides jobs and income to the property owners. If the demand for forest products disappears, the economic incentive to maintain the forest disappears with it and forest lands could conceivably be sold for development. The result would be a genuine loss of forests that provide wildlife habitat and protect watersheds and air quality. Today's savvy environmentalists are working with the forest products industry to insure viable forests and sustainable harvesting.


As a result, there are more trees on paper industry forest lands today than there were 70 years ago. Of the 873 million acres that supply commercial forest products, only 2% are harvested each year. Today's responsible companies recognize that forests are a sustainable resource that can supply us with wood and wood products, like paper, indefinitely if they are properly managed. Forest stewardship in America has grown increasing more responsible to environmental concerns. So there is no need to feel guilty over printing something because you want a paper copy. However, if you fail to recycle paper when you are through using it, go ahead and feel guilty! 

The Metafore Fiber Cycle Project provides a wealth of information about forests in North America.