During its annual capacity report the American Forest & Paper Association reported that 56 percent of the paper consumed in the United States was recovered for recycling. The figures for 2007 are a record. In announcing the figure, the AFPA increased its new recovery goal to 60 percent by 2012. A total of 54.3 million tons of paper were recovered last year.
"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 Moore, chairman and CEO, Smurfit-Stone Container Corp., which collected more than 7 million tons of recyclables last year.
Joining the announcement at the industry's 131st Annual Paper Week conference, Maria Vickers, Deputy Director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Solid Waste applauded the paper industry's achievements in increasing paper recycling, noting that "in 2007, the US 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." She also noted that EPA and AF&PA continue to work together on projects to stimulate paper recycling across the country.
While announcing the record recycling rate in the United States, the AFPA also announced the winners of its 2008 AF&PA Recycling Awards.
"Today’s announcement is about honoring outstanding programs that are representative of the on-going commitment millions of Americans have to paper recycling," said Donna Harman, president and CEO of the AFPA. "It will take the kinds of innovative and creative programs we celebrate today to reach the new 60 percent recovery goal set by the industry for 2012."
Award winners recognized include:
• AF&PA School-Wide (K-12) Recycling Award - Pasco County, Florida
The District School Board of Pasco County works in creative ways with students, teachers, and administrators at the county’s 76 schools to promote and measure recycling success. 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.
• AF&PA College & University Recycling Award - Georgia Institute of Technology
Since the recycling program began at Georgia Tech in 1996, recycling has been successfully integrated into virtually all components of campus life. Last year, the school recovered more than 376 tons of paper products for recycling.
• AF&PA Business Leadership Recycling Award - Boise, Inc. Jackson, Alabama Paper Mill
The mill has its own recycling facility where it processes 120,000 tons of recovered paper each year. Employees operate a Recycling Road Show, going into local schools for hands-on demonstrations. The company also funds in-school recycling programs in two local counties.
• AF&PA Community Recycling Award - Brevard County, Florida
As a result of a variety of creative programs including partnerships, contests, and presentations that reach more than 10,000 residents annually, the community collected 33,341 tons of paper for recycling in 2006 making it one of the top 10 counties in the state for materials recycled per capita.