Dr Bob McIntosh, chief executive of Forest Enterprise, which is responsible for the running of the Forestry Commission’s woodlands, has told letsrecycle.com he fears the increasing trend towards recycled paper could take away the incentive to manage forests responsibly.
“There are always two sides to these things,” said Dr McIntosh. “We are not anti-recycling, but to manage and sustain our forests we obviously need an economic base. A lot is made about the benefits of recycling, and rightly so, but there are side-effects on other industries.”
A sizeable reduction in demand for raw fibre could eventually create an untenable situation for the forestry industry, he said. Responsible forest management relies on the current market demand for wood such as small roundwood timber.
Dr McIntosh feels the government should re-evaluate its policy from a broader perspective. “I think it may be time for them to sit back from scratch and analyse the potential downsides,” he said. “There will always have to be raw paper – the fibre in recycled paper doesn’t last indefinitely – but the way things are going it’s affecting forest management.”
Forest Enterprise’s views have met with a mixed reception from others connected with the paper industry. Kathy Bradley, a spokeswoman for the trade association Paper Federation, has some sympathy with the concerns. “A balance needs to be struck between virgin fibres and recycled fibres, as there are a lot of forests maturing at the moment. I think the solution lies in creating more paper mills, but responsibility ultimately lies with the government.”
Brian Bisset of the British Recovered Paper Association acknowledged that there would always be the need for a certain amount of sustainable forestry, but disagreed anything should be done to redress the current situation. “In my view, recycling is doing nothing to damage the forestry industry. There should be absolutely no limit on the amount of recycled paper being processed. Recycling is absolutely necessary, and it’s important to remember that a lot of people make their living out of recycling as well.”
Subscribe for free