In a recent issue of Advertising Age magazine, an executive with recycled tissue manufacturer Marcal said she stays up at night worrying that “…we as a society are still cutting down trees for something we don’t need to.” (emphasis added)

I want to thank Ad Age for printing my rebuttal to this sadly misinformed statement in its October 18 issue.

As a professionally trained forester, I assure you that responsible timber harvesting is something we as a society must do to keep America’s forests perpetually healthy and growing — and to have a continuing supply of paper, both recycled and virgin.

All recycled fiber was a tree at one point — and this fiber cannot be recycled indefinitely. After being re-used five to seven times, the fibers become too short and weak to survive the manufacturing process. If all timber harvesting ended today, it wouldn’t be long before Marcal would be out of the fiber it needs to make its recycled products.

Trees are a renewable resource. They grow, they die and new trees grow to replace them. Responsible forest management techniques replicate that process. By harvesting mature trees before they die, we provide products of value before the wood decays and releases greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. We also help the next generation of trees grow healthier, and pull greater amounts of greenhouse gases from the air.

Now, leave no doubt: Everyone should recycle paper. Any time we can avoid throwing waste in a landfill AND responsibly use a natural resource to its fullest potential, it’s good for the environment. But to think that recycling “saves” trees is just plain wrong.