OUGD505 - Studio Brief 02 - Change in Focus

Based on further ideas and research, it has been decided to change the focus of my work more specifically to paper wastage, which still continues it's links with the issues of deforestation, but provides more of a specified thing within this issue to focus on since I was having trouble in how to communicate all aspects of deforestation and narrowing down my ideas.

In the case of paper, this involves cutting down trees and deforestation is one of the biggest environmental problems we're facing today. On average, every United Kingdom resident consumes the equivalent of around 4.5 trees every year, with on average 68% of all paper in the region going into waste, 25% of this being into landfill.

Paper pollution is one of the effects of paper waste. Pulp and paper is the third largest industrial polluter of air, water and soil. Chlorine-based bleaches are used during production which results in toxic materials being released into our water, air and soil. When paper rots, it emits methane gas which is 25 times more toxic than CO2.

Further facts about paper wastage:

• 93% of paper comes from trees.
• It takes an average of 5 litres of water to produce one piece of A4 paper.
• 50% of the waste of businesses is composed of paper.
• To print one copy of the Sunday edition of the New York Times requires 75,000 trees.
• Every tree produces enough oxygen for 3 people to breathe.
• Recycling one ton of paper saves around 682.5 gallons of oil, 26,500 litres of water and 17 trees.

https://www.absolutely-gleaming-services.co.uk/2016/06/11-eye-opening-statistics-office-paper-wastage/
http://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/Paper-Waste-Facts