In 2009, the average North American, even coping with the financial-economic crisis, still consumed five times more paper than the world average and 30 times more than an average African, while the average European consumed almost four times more paper than the world average. Most of this consumption is typically not for purposes like school or literary books but rather for wrapping paper and packaging, which already represents more than 50% of the global paper use and has increased steadily.
In 2009, the average North American, even coping with the financial-economic crisis, still consumed five times more paper than the world average and 30 times more than an average African, while the average European consumed almost four times more paper than the world average. Most of this consumption is typically not for purposes like school or literary books but rather for wrapping paper and packaging, which already represents more than 50% of the global paper use and has increased steadily.