Fibre requirements of the pulp and paper sector are met by bamboo, hard wood, agrowaste and wastepaper. The amount of land required by a mill to meet its raw material needs equals the ecological burden that the mills' fibre sourcing has on the environment.

The average Indian mills footprint is 2.17 hectares (ha) for every tonne of paper it produces. Taking the total annual production of paper to be around 3.2 million tonnes, the total land requirement of the Indian pulp and paper sector would be 6.4 million ha. With farm forestry programmes, that provide incentive to producers to supply raw materials, this requirement can be easily met. India has over 60 million ha under forest land and more available under private wasteland.

Gobblers

Land needed by mills to produce one tonne of paper

Company Ecological footprint (hectare)



BILT-Ballarpur Unit 4.85

The West Coast Paper Mills Ltd 1.3

Indian average 2.17