How much paper does a tree produce?
Answering this question is not easy because the answer depends on a number of variables, such as the density of the wood, the size of the tree, and the type of pulping process used. Recently, however, the Sierra Club published a response to such an inquiry, estimating that a single 8 inch diameter tree produces about 10,000 – 20,000 sheets of paper. Other numbers I’ve seen range as high as 100,000 sheets per tree. This may not sound like many trees necessary to meet consumption, but when you consider that the U.S. alone produced nearly 21 million tons of paper last year, this amounts to millions upon millions of trees. According to the American Forest & Paper Association, about 60% of the paper consumed in the U.S. is recovered each year for recycling. Though this is good news, it leaves much room for improvement. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Every ton of paper recovered for recycling saves approximately 3.3 cubic yards of l...