These days, millions of people telecommute to work on a part or full time basis, saving over 800 million gallons of gas per year. The paper products that their employers utilize, however, could clock tens of thousands of miles and carry a carbon footprint that nullifies these efforts.

Grocery stores also have gotten the message – with the cost and impact of fossil fuels, buying local means buying smarter. WalMart has expanded its commitment to stocking local fruits and vegetables, not only to support local economies and for increased nutritional value, but because of transportation savings. Meanwhile, other products on their shelves may still be comprised of, packaged in, or sold from catalogues made of paper that has traveled halfway around the planet.

China not only transports finished product across the oceans, but also imports over half the paper pulp it uses in manufacturing. The overall carbon dioxide emissions caused by transporting paper from China to the U.S. are four to five times greater than North American producers on a per-finished-metric-ton basis, exacerbating global warming.

How can overseas manufacturers afford such distances and still compete in the market? Simple. Some minimize manufacturing costs by using non-sustainable, often illegal timber, underpaying workers, and skimping on the manufacturing and shipping precautions which protect waterways that paper mills are built on.

When it comes to coated paper, there is little real justification for transporting it thousands of miles across the seas when North America’s timber and paper industries not only are capable of providing all that is needed, but are also highly regulated for sustainability and environmental impact.

It’s difficult to trace the source of paper products purchased outside the U.S., but a bit of probing tells wholesalers and retailers that these are issues that may affect their business. We’ve developed an “ISSUES” series to 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 send your comments to contact@papertellsastory.com and share with us your paper story.