The Times of India goes green on 5 June

To celebrate World Environment Day, the Times of India’s Special Edition green newsprint was printed on recycled paper. The Special Edition featured a Reader Engagement Initiative consisting of news stories about the environment, recycling practices, and green initiatives.  

This is not the first time the Times of India’s papers turned green; back in 2011, on 5 June, the Times of India along with the Economic Times printed the ‘Green Papers’ manufactured from 100% recycled paper. This initiative highlights the importance of a sustainable and environment-friendly print and paper industry.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, recycling one MT of paper saves more than 3.3-cubic yards of landfill space and 17 trees. Additionally, paper recycling lowers greenhouse gas emissions and uses 70% less water and energy than producing new paper.

India ranks as one of the world’s largest paper consumers. India’s paper consumption and usage is expected to exceed 30 MT by 2027 due to growing packaging needs, booming industries, and improving literacy rates.

According to the Indian Paper Manufacturing Association (IPMA), the recovery rate for collecting and recovering waste paper is 38%. Additionally, currently, there are no established, sustainable, and methodical waste collection systems that can aid in effectively reusing underutilised waste paper to a greater degree. The Times of India’s celebratory initiative is crucial in light of the present waste collection system.

During the 63rd AGM and Conference of the Federation of Paper Traders’ Association of India (FPTA) in Goa, Pavan Agarwal, the managing director of Naini Papers, and president of IPMA said, "Plastic is a menace and paper is the only solution to the environmental deterioration." He highlighted that paper is manufactured from three different basic materials—wood pulp, agricultural waste, and waste paper—it is sustainable and can be recycled, composted, and biodegraded. According to him, paper is a useful tool for GoI projects like promoting a Clean India and achieving 100% literacy.

According to Agarwal, the paper industry must raise India’s recycling rate from its current level of less than 50% to the global average of 74%–75%.

The ‘Green Papers’ initiative serves as a reminder of the power and possibilities of using, reusing, and recycling paper within the print industry.