Abstract
Paper as a consumer product offers a undisputed benefits to human society, and it has been proven to be critical in driving most sensitive needs of mankind—principally in areas of security, education, sanitation, and communication—and thus has been produced and consumed worldwide. Its sustainable production and usage is one topic that has featured prominently in many discussion fronts and more often than not ends with recommendations for an alternative source of raw material, improvement in production procedures, and ecological concerns. Paper use is an ecological concern that has triggered many paper intervention actions around the world such as the Paper Task Force in USA, Sustainable Paper Alliance in China, and Paper and Beyond in Europe. In Nigeria, however, challenges associated with paper production, consumption, and economic prospects have not been adequately tackled. This is conspicuously evident in the huge volume of paper products imported annually into the country as a result of unsustainable local production. The cumulative impact of these issues reflect negatively on the Nigeria’s paper industry and spread indirectly to the entire country’s economy in terms of high capital freight spent on importation, volatile product price, and loss of employment opportunities. This work sought to review the challenges and opportunities associated with raw material sources, energy and water consumption, environmental pollution, paper consumption, and disposal of used paper products in Nigeria. The current review also advocated for wastepaper as a variant of raw material with a sustainable potential.
Highlights
Paper as a consumer product has proved critical in driving most sensitive needs of mankind, notably in areas of security, education, sanitation, and communication [1]
These findings suggest that paper recycling in Nigeria is a non-negotiable option for sustainable paper production
This study explored all the challenges, development and prospects of paper making in Nigeria
Summary
Paper as a consumer product has proved critical in driving most sensitive needs of mankind, notably in areas of security, education, sanitation, and communication [1]. Paper was first developed in 105 AD in China, and since its production and consumption have steadily increased. This is often attributed to two factors which are: (i) global socio-economic realities such as burgeoning world population, advancement in technology and global economic prosperity; and (ii) its physiochemical properties such as durability and flexibility that have made it possible for paper materials to be fashioned into variety of forms [2,3]. Tissue papers used in the sanitation, cardboard paper used in electrical/electronic hardware, newsprint used for newspapers, sole inserts in the footwear, etc. are all common examples of paper applications.
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