Someone said the paperless office is about as likely as a paperless bathroom – and it seems the much-touted goal of helping the environment by reducing paper usage is still a long way off.
But now there is a new direction – Warehouse Stationery is introducing a new product which will move another step towards the company's sustainability goals: paper made from wheat straw and furniture offcuts.
Wheat paper, which looks and behaves like ordinary copy paper, is made in India from the stalks of grains left over from India's vast crop harvests, mostly in the north-west of that country. The wheat stalks are collected and processed and mixed with furniture offcuts, sourced and collected from manufacturers in the Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
David Benattar, the company's Chief Sustainability Officer, says the product has an exciting future and is another example of Warehouse Stationery's continued commitment to deliver more sustainable products to its customers.
Warehouse Stationery recently marked one year of being carbon-neutral. The introduction of wheat paper forms part of the company's broader sustainability programme which includes recycled school books for Kiwi kids.
"We are pleased to be able to introduce a first-to-market product which has a much better environmental impact as it is responsible for 40 per cent fewer emissions in manufacture than paper produced wholly from wood," says Benattar.
"Not only are no trees involved, the wheat stalks and offcuts are usually burned, so airborne pollution is being cut through the reduction of these burn-offs," he says. The burn-offs have become a significant issue in India, where cities like New Delhi, for example, are often shrouded by polluted air during the burn-off season.
There is a third factor: the "paperless office" hasn't become quite as paperless as all the predictions maintained. Statistics from international research company Statista show that world paper and cardboard consumption increased from 394.5 million metric tonnes in 2010 to 423.3 in 2017.
Wendy Ballard, Head of Marketing, Warehouse Stationery, says she expects the wheat paper will become popular as it delivers on sustainability and price.
"We're expecting high uptake of this product. Wheat paper is an everyday paper product which could become an office staple and the preferred choice for consumers and schools wanting to use a more sustainable alternative.
Warehouse Stationery Buying Manager Matt Clark says: "The only difference between the wheat straw and wood-based paper is that the wheat-based paper has some tiny black dots from the paper-making process which will make little difference to the consumer wanting an everyday paper."
Adding to the appeal is that customers will not have to pay more to buy an environmentally friendly alternative; the wheat paper is priced at the same level as its wood-based paper equivalent.
Ballard says younger consumers are typically more focused on buying sustainable products. However she believes older age groups will also use the new paper as they realise there is no price differential – but a big difference when it comes to environmental consciousness.
"We know New Zealanders want to live, work and buy more sustainably," she says. "This wheat-based paper is a big step forward for us and we are really proud to offer our customers a greener choice."