The American Forest & Paper Association announced the release of three new brochures designed to increase paper recycling in schools, workplaces and communities interested in implementing new recycling programs or improving existing recycling programs.
Last year AF&PA announced a new goal to recover 55 percent of all paper consumed in the U.S. by 2012. Current recovery paper recovery rates are at an all-time high of 50.3 percent.
"AF&PA and its partners including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Keep America Beautiful, and CarrAmerica, are working hard to educate the public on the very important role they play in paper recovery," said W. Henson Moore, president and CEO, AF&PA. "Paper recycling has an impressive history; however, we can all do more to boost the amount of recycled materials available to make new products by continuing to increase the amount of paper and paperboard recovered for recycling. AF&PA's recycling guides are designed to aid citizens, municipalities and businesses committed to improving our environment through increased paper recovery and recycling."
According to the AFPA, the following statistics highlight some of the successes of the paper recycling industry:
In 2003, recovery of old corrugated containers rose to a record high of 75.2 percent, recovery of old newspapers (ONP) rose to 72 percent, and recovery of office papers rose to 48.3 percent.
Americans currently recover approximately 339 pounds of paper for each man, woman and child in the United States. This is up from 233 pounds per person in 1990.
Americans recycle 270 million pounds of paper every day.
Paper recycling mills employ more than 139,300 people and generate more than $49 billion in annual receipts.
Every ton of paper recovered for recycling saves 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space.
Currently more paper is recovered for recycling than landfilled. By weight, more paper is recovered from municipal waste streams for recycling than all glass, plastic and aluminum.
To obtain copies of AF&PA's school, workplace or community recycling guides visit www.afandpa.org/recycling or contact Gretchen Kornely at (202) 463-5156 or, email: Gretchen_Kornely@afandpa.org.