Paper Recycling Rates in the United States: 2000

In 1994 the voice of the American paper industry, the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) announced a goal of 50% paper and paperboard recovery by the year 2000.

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The years have come and gone and the stated goal can be evaluated from more than a few perspectives.

On the positive side, basic paper recycling statistics demonstrate two trends. Paper ranks first among all recycled materials in the United States and over the past decade paper recycling trends have continued on an upward path. According to the AF&PA, between the years 1987 and 1999, paper and paperboard recovery increased from a 28.8% recovery rate to a 45% recovery rate.

Ranking the different types of paper recycling efforts, the AF&PA reports:

• Corrugated 70.1%
• Newspapers 68.9%
• Office Paper 43.2%
• Printing Writing Paper 37.8%

While the general trends are positive, there's also no denying that the United States missed the mark on the original 50% goal by the year 2000. The United States continues to marches on, yet still lags behind other industrial states paper recycling activity which achieved those same goals over five years ago. According to Raymond Communications, a company that specializes in providing information on recycling news and legislation,

"Europeans reportedly recycled 32 million tons of waste paper in 1996, according to the Confederation of European Paper Industries, giving the European Union an average recovery rate of nearly 50%. Comparatively, the U.S. recycled about 44% of its paper in 1996 (including pre-consumer material) while Japan was nearing its 60% recycling goal, recycling more than 55%."

Given the comparatively slow rate of American paper recycling efforts, a few words on the importance of paper recycling may help serve as continued motivation material. Why is paper recycling important? Simply put, paper and paperboard represents the largest component of our garbage.

Paper comprises about 38% of our garbage, more than double any other type of waste. A look at your own waste containers will no doubt provide additional support for this assertion. This paper waste causes a variety of problems. First and foremost, paper waste means that our continued paper needs must be met by producing new paper, which in turn requires more trees to be cut causing a stress on forests and ecosystems. Second, the waste paper ends up in our already overburdened landfills.

© 2001. Patricia A. Michaels