Clearing the Air about the Lifecycle of Paper

Freesheet. Groundwood. Recycled fiber. Upcycling. Downcycling. With so many paper production practices and sources, it’s easy to become confused about papermaking methods. From the forest to production to the end use, the processes and decisions made during the paper product lifecycle all have an impact on the environment.

To understand how the paper lifecycle affects our environment, you need to become familiar with the key steps involved in papermaking, starting with pulping processes, the difference between freesheet and groundwood production, and the characteristics of upcycling and downcycling.

Glatfelter will find ways to continuously improve, and we hope you do the same. If we can all understand the paper lifecycle, we can make more informed choices when selecting paper products.