Paper production has a high environmental impact from the cutting down of trees to water consumption. While recycling is a great help with lessening the environmental consequences, papers can only be recycled up to seven times before new fibres must be added, this requirement for more wood leads to deforestation which has a wide scope of negative effects.
Paper is made from wood pulp, this is made by chipping logs which are then cooked in a chemical bath to get the cellulose fibres, these are then treated in a process called sizing after this the pulp is run through rollers to wring it out until it is dry and can become the finished product. This process consumes vast amounts of water and the chemicals remain to pollute it.
This is relevant to illustrators, especially those within the book industry, as using paper to create their illustrations and also the printing of books contributes to this cycle. Awareness of the processes involved will lead to better choices in material with a bit more mindfulness of the source of paper used: is it recycled? does the company replant the trees which it cuts? and is the illustrator reducing, reusing and recycling where possible?

Moral/Ethical Considerations

References:

1. Ecological and social footprint - papers and boards - AQA - GCSE Design and Technology Revision - AQA - BBC Bitesize (No date) BBC News. BBC. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides
/znq8jty/revision/3

2. Sources and origins - paper and boards - AQA - GCSE Design and Technology Revision - AQA - BBC Bitesize (No date) BBC News. BBC. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides
/znq8jty/revision/4