It is a common myth that newsprint is made of wood chips, an eco-friendly by-product. This is untrue. The majority of newsprint is made from trees specifically grown for the purpose.
The majority of newsprint made in the United States comes primarily from Canada and the U.S. The boreal forests in Ontario and Quebec supply most of the virgin fiber from Canada, which amounts to roughly half of the U.S. supply.
While trees supply most of the fiber for the production of newsprint, other countries such as China and India are making newsprint out of agricultural crops such as wheat, rice and straw. By using these materials, less pressure is put on forests and the carbon footprint is less during the production of the pulp.