|
Facts About Paper Recycling
Americans Set a New Record for Paper Recovery in 2007…
- More than 56 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S. during 2007 was recovered for recycling — an all-time high.
- In total, 54.3 million tons of paper and paper board products were recovered last year in the United States — approximately 360 pounds for every man, woman and child in the country, up from 233 pounds per person in 1990.
- The amount of paper being recovered far exceeds the amount sent to landfill sites. Every ton of paper that is recovered saves 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space.
- Enough paper was recovered for recycling last year to fill 130 Empire State Buildings.
- Since 1990, when the paper industry established its first recovery goal to advance recycling in the United States, paper recovery has grown by more than 87 percent.
Raising the Bar Even More…
- Over the past decade, the paper industry has set and exceeded increasingly aggressive goals for paper recovery. In 2003, the paper industry set a goal to recover 55 percent of the paper used in America by 2012.
- The 55 percent recovery goal has been achieved a full five years ahead of the target.
- The industry is raising the stakes by establishing a new goal of 60 percent recovery by 2012 — a significant increase that we hope to meet in just five years.
- The new goal represents a tremendous increase in recovery, as each percentage point represents nearly one million additional tons of recovered paper — enough to fill more than 14,000 railroad cars.
- AF&PA and the paper industry are partnering with organizations including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Keep America Beautiful, and Scholastic, Inc. to help promote recycling efforts across the country.
How America is Recycling Its Paper
- Recycling is a grassroots success story, made possible by the efforts of AF&PA member companies and the millions of Americans who recycle at home, work, and school every day.
- 86 percent of the U.S. population has access to curbside or drop-off recycling programs according to a 2005 AF&PA Community Survey.
- Nearly 80 percent of America’s paper mills use recovered fiber to make their some or all of their products. Approximately 140 mills use recovered paper exclusively.
- Recovered paper accounts for about 37 percent of the raw product used by U.S. paper mills.
Meeting Future Recovery Targets
- While we currently recover more than 70 percent of old newsprint and corrugated containers, there is still room for improvement. Opportunities also exist to increase the recovery of printing-writing papers, magazines, catalogs, direct mail, and paper packaging. In order to reach the new recovery goal, it will be necessary to increase recycling of all paper grades.
- The paper industry will continue to highlight the need for increased paper recovery from America’s homes, schools, and offices.
For more information about paper recovery and recycling, please visit www.paperrecycles.org
|
|
|
