Paper Recycling Jumps to Record High

The 54.3 million tons of paper recovered in 2007 add up to more than 360 pounds for every man, woman, and child in America. Each percentage point is the equivalent of approximately one million additional tons of recovered paper - enough to fill more than 14,000 railroad cars.

Announcing the achievement, the American Forest & Paper Association, or AF&PA, set a new goal of 60 percent recovery by 2012.

"Industry is demonstrating a real commitment to environmental sustainability by continuing to set and achieve aggressive paper recovery goals," said AF&PA President and CEO Donna Harman. "Whether at home, school, or work, paper recovery is something we can all do to make a difference."

Enthusiasm for paper recycling is catching on. (Photo courtesy Virginia Recycling Association)

In 2007, the United States recycled over 25 million tons more paper than was recycled in 1990. This increase in paper recycling reduced emissions by more than 97 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, comparable to the annual emissions of nearly 18 million cars."

"While the upward trend in recovery rates is most encouraging, getting to 60 percent is an important challenge for all of us. Everyone has a role to play in our effort to sustain and grow the country's recycling programs and recover more paper," said Patrick J. Moore, chairman and chief executive of the Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation.

Smurfit-Stone is a longstanding AF&PA member and is one of the world's largest paper recyclers. The company collected more than seven million tons of recyclable material in 2007.

Matthew McKenna, president and chief executive of the national nonprofit Keep America Beautiful, a partner of AF&PA on projects to promote paper recycling in schools, praised the association and its members for their efforts.

"True environmental progress, like what we celebrate today, comes when industries work together with communities, organizations, and dedicated individuals to make things happen," McKenna said.

When winners were announced at the conference, the Boise, Inc. papermill of Jackson, Alabama came out on top in the business leadership category. The mill has its own recycling facility where it processes 120,000 tons of recovered paper each year. The mill operates a Recycling Road Show, where employees go into local schools for hands-on demonstrations. The company also funds in-school recycling programs in two local counties.

The award to a community for recycling paper went to Brevard County, Florida; while the college and university recycling award was carried off by the Georgia Institute of Technology. Last year, the school recovered more than 376 tons of paper products for recycling.

The district that earned the recycling award for schools is Pasco County, Florida. In 2007, Pasco County schools collected 1,267 tons of paper products for recycling, helping the county save more than $135,000 in solid waste disposal costs.

The AF&PA says the forest products industry accounts for six percent of the total U.S. manufacturing output, employs more than one million people, and ranks among the top 10 manufacturing employers in 42 states with an estimated payroll exceeding $50 billion.

Recovered fiber accounts for about 37 percent of the raw product used by U.S. paper mills.

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2008. All rights reserved.