Environmental awareness is no longer an option, it is now a necessity. As business professionals striving for a better tomorrow, it is vital that we take into account the present and what we can do to create a more sustainable future.
The first step is knowing the difference between the two most prevalent green initiatives: sustainability and recycling. By knowing what sets these two apart, and which will form the brightest future for our society, we can successfully create an eco-friendly world that future generations will be able to inhabit.
What is the Difference Between Sustainability and recycling?
Although both sustainability and recycling have positive goals and aim to form a brighter future through respect for our planet, there are some big differences between the two.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, recycling is,”the process of collecting and changing old paper, glass, plastic, etc. so that it can be used again.” Recycling is primarily used for plastic and aluminum products, taking items that would otherwise spend hundreds of years in landfills and transforming them into new products that can be used once more.
This process dates back to the 1960s, when landfills first became a major issue for countries worldwide. Today, recycling remains a large part of the environmentally-friendly initiatives that countries across the globe utilize. In fact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, “In 2013, Americans generated about 254 million tons of trash and recycled and composted about 87 million tons of this material, equivalent to a 34.3 percent recycling rate.”
On the other hand, sustainability is the avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance. If products are made with raw materials that cannot be continued indefinitely then they are not sustainable. There is a major difference between “sustainable” and “natural.” This is where many people become confused about the true nature of sustainability. While sustainability does focus on nature, and creating a sustainable natural source for things, the term “natural” has no real standards and is primarily used for marketing purposes.
Sustainability became a concept after recycling, primarily as a solution for the environmental crises of the modern generations. The main focus of sustainability is to create production processes which help the Earth, rather than harm it, for all things that we, as a society, require. Many business professionals now believe that sustainability is the future of eco-friendly business. Sustainability aims to be a solution to all environmental issues and their symptoms.
How Double A Sustainable Paper Stands out from the Crowd
Now knowing what separates recycling from sustainability, you may be asking how a sustainable paper company such as Double A stands out from the crowd and creates social harmony in the process. After all, recycled paper has been highly prevalent for years and used by eco-conscious companies worldwide. So, what makes sustainable paper a better solution? Furthermore, which paper is best for eco-conscious businesses worldwide?
The answer is simple; Double A paper is sustainable and better than recycled paper because of the sustainability in its production process. Double A creates its own raw materials, thus not borrowing from the Earth’s natural resources.
In addition, the recycling process produces a less hygienic product than virgin-sourced paper, and is generally manufactured by energy sourced from fossil fuels, which is harmful to the Earth.
Double A’s sustainable paper is sourced from specific tree species hybrids developed over the last 25 years to be sustainable. The trees are grown in unused areas of land between rice paddies (call KHAN-NA in Thai) in Thailand. Double A pays farmers for use of this land, which boosts the local economy. This fully sustainable process helps farmers to provide for their families and pay for their farms.
Planting these trees also improves the environment’s oxygen levels. The trees are watered by a natural rainwater reservoir that also provides water to the region, and the paper is produced in manufacturing centers powered by biomass fuel created from the tree’s waste. It also creates energy for countless homes in the region, and is fueled and grown by sustainable systems.
Although both sustainable and recycling initiatives are vital to a better world for future generations, sustainability continues to prove that it may be the answer to our problems as a whole. By solving problems, rather than making up for them, sustainability and sustainable products such as Double A paper actively form a better tomorrow.