The forest and paper industry highlights its sector
The forest and paper industry’s roundtable unearths the sector’s role in greener products.
The Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (Pamsa) held a roundtable to discuss various issues from growing trees to trends in paper packaging.
The discussions were held at the Langham Experience, Fourways, and were led by award-winning author and Talk Radio 702 presenter Gugu Mhlungu, and were split into two discussions, which covered the environmental and socio-economic aspects of forests and wood products, while the second session discussed the packaging trends, and innovation and developments in packaging substitution and recycling.
In the first session, panellists covered the environmental and socio-economic aspects of forests and wood products while being explicit about the importance of our planted forests and debunked several myths and misunderstandings about the sector.
Jane Molony, executive director at Pamsa, pointed out that farming trees do not cause deforestation and timber plantations or planted forests represent just 7% of the planet’s forest area, but provide about 50% of the wood for global industrial use such as pulp, paper, and timber for construction.
“Trees in South Africa are farmed to make timber, pulp, and paper. Rather, they are audited, certified, and sustainably managed. Deforestation happens when you cut trees down and do not replant them. We do not use indigenous or natural forests in this country, we farm trees in just the same way you would farm grain or maize. So not only are our forests sustainable sources of wood products, but they are also homes to thriving biospheres and not green deserts as some would suggest,” Molony said.
The guests also emphasised the socio-economic benefits of the forest and harvested wood products sector and the vital role it plays in providing employment and supporting local communities. Through sustainable forest management practices, the industry aims to strike a balance between economic growth and environmental conservation while they foster a green economy that benefits all stakeholders.
The second discussion focused on packaging trends, innovation, and developments in packaging substitution and recycling. Don MacFarlane, packaging senior at Woolworths, explained, “One of the biggest trends is the re-emergence of paper as a primary packaging medium, and not just secondary or tertiary packaging in the form of cardboard boxes,” alluding to Woolworths’ new locally recyclable paper packaging.
What was clear by the end of the event was that rather than being treated as the enemy, paper, and wood products should be viewed as a critical part of everyday life, its little luxuries, and the greener future we all strive to create.
