European forests have been growing by over 1,500 football pitches every day!

Paper loves trees

The paper industry depends on, and promotes, sustainable forest management to provide a reliable supply of wood fibre, the key raw material for its products. Well-managed forests bring multiple benefits for society, such as livelihoods, ecosystem services and biodiversity.

European forests, from where the region’s paper mills source over 90% of their wood fibre, have been growing by an area equivalent to 1,500 football pitches every day.

According to the most recent figures from the Forest and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nation (FAO), between 2005 and 2020, European forests grew by more than 58,000 km² – an area bigger than Switzerland – this amounts to 1,500 football pitches of forest growth every day! Today, European forests stand 30% larger in area than they did in the 1950s.