Specific plantations are established on previously uncultivated land to supply the paper industry. This not only contributes to increasing forest stands, but also generates significant social and environmental benefits.

Once these plantations have produced a whole crop of trees, new trees are replanted.
Therefore, its production does not involve deforestation, much less the destruction of rainforests or other species considered noble such as oak, beech, chestnut, … Paper in our nearest environment is produced from radiata pine or eucalyptus globulus.

Between 1990 and 2020, global pulp, paper and board production has increased by more than 50%. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (hereinafter referred to as FAO) (Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020), 4.2% of the world’s forests have disappeared over the same period, 97% of them in South America and Africa, where only 34% of pulp is produced.

Despite these findings, the FAO itself acknowledges that most of the forest destruction is caused by the conversion of forests to agricultural or grazing land.

Plantation forestry, according to FAO, accounts for 3% of the world’s total forest area. Of this 3%, 45% are plantations for productive purposes. Thus, less than 1.5% of forests are productive plantations.

A forest is an ecosystem that needs to be cared for in order to fulfil its natural mission. This is why some have to be cleared, some trees have to be felled to allow others to grow, pruning has to be done to ensure the growth of trees free of knots, firebreaks have to be created…… When all these silvicultural activities are carried out, wood is obtained that can be used in the paper and non-paper industry. But above all we contribute to making sure that someone takes care of the forests.

Speaking of pine trees, to get 100 healthy, knot-free, good quality adult pines, it is necessary to plant more than 600, and they must be looked after for more than 30 years.

In addition, not all parts of a pine tree can be used to make paper. Only that part with a certain diameter is suitable for pulping.

The thicker part will be sawn timber to make boards, strips, unwound veneer… However, the remains of the sawn timber can be used to make paper, which is why the industry contributes to making the most of the wood.

The narrowest part will be used as fuel or to make boards, among other uses.

Another environmental benefit is that trees planted for the paper industry trap CO2.

And let’s not forget the social benefits. Paper contributes to the sustainable cultivation of trees, an area that provides rural jobs. And it also contributes to the creation of jobs in industry, the service economy and other paper-based businesses.

Do you know what FSC and PEFC stand for?

Maybe you are familiar with it because some big furniture brands have mentioned it in their catalogues. They are acronyms that prove the traceability of a product such as wood at source. And the term source does not only refer to the exact place where the wood was harvested, but also to where and how the trees that provide the raw material have been cultivated.

Our factories are committed to these wood source tracking systems. 100% of the cellulose production in the Basque Country (and in Spain) is chain of custody certified. In terms of manufacturers of paper from virgin fibre, 100% of them also have this type of certification. Furthermore, as a bonus to this guarantee, 90% have their environmental management systems certified to at least ISO 14001.