The majority of the raw fiber to generate paper products is harvested from a few key areas in the world, which creates additional pressures on forests in those areas and results in local resource concerns. The paper bleaching process can also cause the formation of dioxins, which can cause specific health concerns and may particularly affect the users of feminine hygiene products. Although paper products are used throughout the world, companies in the United States, Sweden, Finland, and Japan dominate the world paper products supply. The United States is the largest consumer of paper in the world, although the raw materials for these products come from the world's forests.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations tracks global forest supply and demand and ...