Myth Versus Reality
Myth:
Forests are being destroyed to produce direct mail.
Reality:
- There are 12 million more acres of forestland today than 20 years ago.*
- U.S. forests cover nearly 750 million acres, or one-third of the entire U.S. land base.**
- The standing inventory – the volume of growing trees – of hardwood and softwood species in U.S. forests has grown nearly 50 percent since 1953. **
- In the U.S., 4 million trees are planted each day, including 1.7 million from our paper and forest products industry. The industry plants 4 trees for each 1 we harvest.*
- The North American paper industry does not use any wood from old growth or tropical forests. Paper is made from younger pulp wood trees, not from wood harvested from old growth forests.
- For more information, click here to view the State of America's Forests Report.
Myth:
Direct mail and catalogs are not being recycled.
Reality:
- Recycling rates are climbing due to new industry initiatives. In 2006, the U.S. recycling recovery rate for paper and paperboard was 53.4 %, equal to 100.2 million tons. This recovery rate was a huge increase from 33.5% in 1990.***
- The American Forest & Paper Association, of which International Paper is a member, has a goal to recover 55% of paper consumed in the U.S. by 2012. Recovered fiber now provides more than 36% of our domestic raw material supply.
Myth:
The production and distribution of mail is a waste of energy.
Reality:
- From a manufacturing perspective, the paper and forest products industry is the largest user of renewable energy in the country, using an average of 60% biomass (wood for fuel) to power major mills.***
- International Paper uses 73% biomass to power our major U.S. facilities.
- Postal commerce is an important component of a vibrant economy.
- The mail-related industry provides 3.6 million jobs and $686 billion in annual sales.****
- Approximately $5.3 billion worth of paper is used in the postal system every year.
- Direct mail is an efficient, sustainable and effective method of reaching target audiences about new products and services.
- Direct mail creates informed consumers and reduces auto trips.
*Abundant Forest Alliance
**State of America's Forests Report
***American Forest and Paper Association
****Direct Marketing Association
We welcome your feedback. Please contact julie.alsup@ipaper.com.
