Reducing paper consumption is one of the most effective ways to protect forests, preserve biodiversity, and cut climate pollution. It is the first goal of our Global Paper Vision, and a top priority across the Environmental Paper Network.

Around the world, EPN member organizations are working to eliminate unnecessary paper use — especially in disposable and single-use products like packaging, and in high-volume sectors such as publishing, retail, healthcare, and finance. Together, we are building systems and policies that reduce demand for virgin fiber, prevent waste, and ensure more equitable access to paper’s benefits.

What We Do

• Supporting, connecting, and amplifying campaigns that reduce overconsumption and excess packaging
• Advancing policies and standards that center consumption reduction and minimize harm
• Strengthening collective action for paper reduction across our network
• Challenging corporate practices that normalize wasteful, single-use paper products
• Collaborating with anti-plastic, zero-waste, and other movements to promote consumption reduction and prevent harmful material shifts, such as substituting paper for plastic, which increase pressure on forests
• Sharing tools and strategies to help institutions and individuals cut waste
• Promoting efficiency and reuse in climate and circular economy initiatives

Our Impact in Action

Over the years, EPN and our members have helped secure paper reduction commitments that have prevented hundreds of millions of tons of unnecessary paper use and set new sustainability standards across entire sectors. Our collaborations have driven waste-cutting measures and supported policy work focused on reducing paper waste in publishing, retail, legal, finance, food service, healthcare, and other high-volume paper industries at regional and global levels. These efforts demonstrate that systemic change is possible when diverse partners work together.

Our Paper Calculator™ is a widely used and publicly available tool that helps companies, governments, and advocates measure and reduce the footprint of their paper use, including quantifying the impacts of avoided paper consumption. The Paper Calculator uses a science-based methodology grounded in life cycle assessment and is widely recognized as the most credible, transparent, and independent calculator of environmental impact estimates for paper. Tens of thousands of high-profile companies and organizations have utilized it and cite its results.

Why It Matters

Paper use has grown dramatically in recent decades, especially in wealthier countries, while communities in paper-producing regions often bear the impacts of deforestation, pollution, and land rights violations. Much of this consumption is unnecessary: nearly half of all office printouts are discarded the same day. At the same time, e-commerce growth has driven significant increases in paper packaging demand, requiring an estimated 3 billion trees annually. Industries are promoting short-sighted solutions, such as swapping plastic for paper, without addressing the underlying problem of overconsumption. Meanwhile, millions worldwide still lack access to essential paper products for education, hygiene, and public health.
The rapid rise of paper packaging and single-use products presents a growing environmental challenge. Building a more sustainable and just paper system depends on reducing overconsumption, especially in high-income countries.

Get Involved

Cutting back on wasteful paper use helps protect forests, reduce emissions, and save money.

You can:

• Use the Paper Calculator to measure and reduce your paper footprint and quantify the impacts of your paper saving efforts

• Join our network: EPN is a space for collaboration, strategy, and solidarity. Whether you’re engaged in local campaigns, policy advocacy, market pressure, or movement-building, we welcome your participation. To learn more, contact us.

• Support campaigns by EPN members that challenge wasteful paper systems
• Explore our case studies and resources for tools, ideas, and success stories
• Advocate for policy and institutional change that prioritizes sustainable consumption
• By using paper more thoughtfully and efficiently, we can help create a future that is healthier, more just, and more resilient for all.