No matter the oft-cited reports of China’s toxic environmental record, the world’s most populous country is proudly putting decidedly green final touches on its preparations for the Olympics, which spring to life August 8th.

Athletes, support staff, spectators and media from around the world are sure to be impressed by the nouveau environmentally conscious Beijing skyline. The Birds Nest, the main Olympic stadium, is powered by solar photovoltaics. Sophisticated water reclamation systems wind through Olympic village and swim facilities, while recyclable food service items earnestly exhibit a shift in eco-consciousness for a watching world.

But one can’t help but wonder how long, after the crowds have gone, cars are allowed back onto the streets and factories huff and puff back into production, it will take for pollution to creep back into China’s environment and with it, the waste from the unregulated paper mills that have helped pollute many of that nation’s waterways.

American Public Media’s Marketplace reported a couple of weeks ago from the city of Tangshan in Northern China that steel factories, like paper and cement factories in nearby Beijing, had been ordered to close until after the Olympics. It poses a difficult dilemma. The situation has proven to be a strain for local workers, but judging from the blue skies above Beijing, a positive step for the world’s perception.

As the flags and medals of the Olympics fill our hearts with pride, it is incumbent upon us to be attentive to the source of the thousands of paper souvenirs and memorabilia that are destined to fan out across the world in the coming months. How much pulp was transported thousands of miles to reach Chinese factories? How much non-sustainable timber was used? How many waterways were needlessly polluted?

Take a look, our “ISSUES” series will keep you current with the risks of imported paper.

Click on the red folder icons on the left of the screen to learn more. Bookmark this page and stay tuned as we add more sections. And please, educate your clients and colleagues. Tell them about the risk of paper from unverifiable chains of supply. Send them a link to our site and we’ll get this dialog going.

In the meantime, please feel free to share your story by sending comments to contact@papertellsastory.com.