Doha, Qatar: On the occasion of 'No Paper Day' which is observed on June 3, the Ministry of Municipality urged the public to reduce paper usage in order to cut paper waste for a more sustainable future.
“Join us in celebrating ‘No Paper Day’ as part of the Zero Waste campaign. Let’s all reduce our paper usage in practical and smart ways to decrease the amount of paper waste for a more sustainable future in Qatar,” the Ministry said in a tweet.
It urged office workers to be aware of excessive use of paper to avoid causing more trees to be cut. The Ministry said reducing usage of paper is necessary for conserving natural resources. “Keep an eye out for errors in any document to prevent further printing. Be sure of your paper before you print it,” the Ministry said.
The ‘No Paper Day’ is an opportunity to remind everyone of the need to reduce paper consumption at work and to encourage the use of cardboard containers for paper recycling.
'No Paper Day' was established in Qatar to help companies, institutions and schools find ways to reduce paper consumption and contribute to a sustainable future. The initiative aims to encourage communities to adopt eco-friendly initiatives geared at reducing recyclable waste nationwide. It also serves as celebration of Qatar’s efforts to successfully reduce its waste output.
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) also educated people about the importance of reducing paper consumption. “There are many impacts resulting in manufacture and use of paper around the world, which causes a depletion of environmental resources,” the Ministry's post said. The most important disadvantage of paper manufacturing on the environment is reduction of trees and vegetation in the environment, as the paper industry requires cutting trees.
It produces harmful gases, releasing them into the air, which leads to an increase in environmental pollution.
MoECC also shared some solutions to help reduce the impact of paper on the environment such as resorting to storing files digitally instead of printing them on paper.
The Ministry also suggested that people use recycled paper and dispose of papers in places designated for recycling.
According to the international reports, the environmental effects of paper production include deforestation, the use of enormous amounts of energy and water as well as air pollution and waste problems.
Likewise, as the volume of waste increases, the land needed to contain them also needs to expand. In addition, paper wastes are often burned, causing air pollution, and some of the chemicals contained in these products may damage the environment. The pulp and paper industry is also the largest industrial user of water, the biggest water polluter, and the third largest emitter of global warming pollution in most industrialized nations.
