From when we wake up until we sleep, paper is an essential commodity in our daily lives. No surprise then that paper is regarded as one of the most amazing inventions of mankind !
But how do we live paper ?
We live it from when we wake up and read the newspaper in the morning, from taking notes and printing a document at work or in school, from paying banknotes or buying from a grocery shop near home, and from using it in the bathroom, in cosmetics, in wrapping, in packaging, and the list goes on and on, and on...
The evolution of paper accelerated during its travel from a civilization to another and from a country to another.
From China to the Middle East, and from the Middle to Northern Africa, then it reached Europe. From Europe, paper travelled to Canada, and from there, to the whole World...
Paper reached Lebanon, and has been widely used well before its development as an industry in the beginning of the twentieth century. Lebanon housed the first printed newspapers in the Middle East in the 19th century. And thus today, the presence of Mimosa (that we are going
to explore in the next few pages), and other paper mills around Lebanon, simply underscores the fact that Lebanon is among the oldest in the region to make paper.
Yet, although paper is a product that is indispensable, and closely tied tour daily life ; performing multiple functions to our use, we see insufficient effort is made by politicians and decision makers to take full advantage of the industry’s potential.
Clearly, the government could play a more active role in resolving issues that undercut the paper industry such as unfair international competition and the cost of water, specially the cost of power, that is among the highest in the region !
I leave you with these few words, hoping you enjoy the content of this issue.