Thousands of acres of forest destroyed around the globe every day, ravaging indigenous communities and the world’s carbon balance at the same time—that’s the legacy of rampant deforestation tactics still fueling some of today’s paper products market.^1,2

Asian imports make up to an estimated 40% of the North American coated sheet paper market, but in many cases, consumers and corporations are not aware of the real source behind the paper they use. Many importers use private label brand names or re-branded names that obscure their identity and true manufacturing origins. It’s just one of a variety of surprises that can be found beneath the surface of paper’s global supply chain.

^{IMAGE: Container lot located in the US port city of Long Beach, CA}

Unless they choose paper from a known source, with a verifiable supply chain, many North American paper buyers risk unknowingly supporting environmentally destructive practices. Businesses may be risking unwanted “surprise” consequences such as negative publicity and pressure from consumer and environmental groups that can jeopardize their organization’s and clients’ reputation, brand and revenues.

For example, Indonesia is the scene of some of the most extensive environmental damage. Timber shortages faced by Japan, China and Korea have fueled escalation of timber theft in Indonesia.³ The Food & Agriculture Organization’s forestry department reported that a disturbing 75% of all logging in Indonesia is illegal.⁴ At least 72% of Indonesia’s original forest has been destroyed and a World Bank study estimates that each year, an area of forest the size of Belgium is lost.⁵

But Indonesia is only one example; many other countries are risking their resources. Russia, for example, supplies fiber to China, Japan, Korea, and certain parts of Western Europe.⁶ The extent of illegal logging in Russia is estimated to be 20-30%; in some regions the estimates are much higher.⁷ Unless North American consumers and corporations know and can trust their paper supplier, they risk buying paper that was illegally harvested, contributing to global resource depletion, as well as related problems such as logging of protected species and violation of human rights for indigenous communities.⁷

According to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development: “Illegal logging has risen to the top of the international forestry agenda over the past five to ten years. It is acknowledged as a major problem by governments, the forest industry, labor and trade organizations, and non-governmental groups. Illegal logging can result in loss of government revenues, unfair competition, increased poverty and destruction of important ecosystems.”⁷