Domtar Celebrates International Day of Forests

Trees give so generously yet take so little.

Take, for example, the fact that a single tree is capable of absorbing 10 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. According to Recyclebank, a mature oak tree can take in 369 gallons of water each day – important for oxygen production and prevention of soil erosion. And one tree can even produce the same cooling effect as 10 air conditioning units running for 20 hours a day.

For these reasons and many more, the United Nations General Assembly first declared March 21 as International Day of Forests in 2012. The day is set aside annually to celebrate forests and all that they provide to communities and economies worldwide. The UN works with government agencies, community organizations and the public to promote local and global activities which include tree planting campaigns, exhibits and sharing information about the importance of trees and forestlands.

“As a producer of pulp, paper and personal care products, Domtar is proud to join in the celebration of International Day of Forests,” said Paige Goff, vice president of sustainability and business communications for Domtar. “Our future success is rooted in the forest so we are working to recycle and reuse wood fibers, to find ways to turn wood waste into renewable energy that can fuel our cars, heat our homes and power our manufacturing plants. Forests employ millions of people, they clean and cool the air we breathe and are a huge part of our everyday lives.”

Forests cover roughly one third of the world’s land mass. Nearly 1.6 billion people – including more than 2,000 indigenous cultures – depend on forests for their livelihoods. Forests are vital to countless living creatures, people and the earth.

In fact, forests provide shelter for more than half the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects on earth. They provide the oxygen we breathe. Globally, forests – which cover 30 percent of the planet’s land area - store 283 billion tons of carbon in their biomass. Trees help moisten the air with humidity and protect watershed which supply fresh water to rivers.

The value of trees and forests is not lost on forest products companies like Domtar, which depend on healthy forests to sustainably provide a wide variety of useful products the people depend on every day. The organization’s  Sustainable Forestry Principles illustrate how the company aims to leave forests it depends on better off for the long term

Forests provide a host of environmental, social and economic benefits worth celebrating.  

For more information about how you can participate in International Day of Forests, visit the United Nations website.