China will promote recycling paper and reducing its use in order to save resources and protect the environment, according to the country's new five-year plan for its paper industry.
The authorities should urge people to cut back on using high-quality paper such as sheets with high whiteness, said the country's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) for the Paper Industry, released last week.
Current paper product standards should be revised to encourage the production of energy-saving and emission-reducing paper, and promote the substitution of paper packaging for alternatives, said the plan.
The plan requires government purchasers to give priority to paper products mixed with waste paper, and to reduce paper use by switching to digital systems.