SOUTH AFRICA – The Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) has partnered with GM Television to create a series of short videos of how paper products are made and recycled for the popular How It’s Made YouTube channel.
The Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) recently conducted a survey centered around the place of paper and print in modern society.
From reading habits to the importance of labels and packaging, the survey has found that 82% of South African consumers acknowledge that paper is still a part of their daily lives. PAMSA shares some insights from their recent paper and print survey.
PAMSA noted that many people are not aware of what goes into making everyday products, such as toilet paper, envelopes, packaging paper or office paper, or how paper is recycled.
This has led to large parts of the population underestimating the contribution of the pulp and paper industry to South African society, explains PAMSA.
Jane Molony, executive director of PAMSA, said: “This sector is an essential service that produces pulp, printing and writing paper, packaging paper as well as tissue products.
“From forestry to paper and recycling, the greater sector employs close to 150 000 people, and indirectly supports thousands of livelihoods through recycling.
“We saw the fact that many people do not know this as an opportunity to make relevant and local content for anyone wishing to understand what happens behind the scenes in a paper mill.”
The series includes videos about paper recycling sorting and grading, the manufacture of printing and writing paper from wood, the making of envelopes, how recycled paper is made into paper bags and how toilet paper is made.
“Aside from making significant economic contributions, paper is also a renewable and sustainable product,” explained Molony.
The wood fiber that goes into the making of paper is sourced from the sustainably managed plantations that grow largely in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
Trees are planted and grown in an environmentally responsible way until they are mature enough for harvesting. Only 10% of the trees are harvested each year while new trees are being propagated in nurseries, getting ready to take the place of their older counterparts.
The association says that this is an inspiring initiative to promote and demystify the manufacturing processes of paper products and help the industry gain in attractivity.
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