Key Paper Recovery Indicators Climb in 2000

Key indicators of paper recovery -- office paper, newspapers and boxes -- increased appreciably last year, giving the industry an overall recovery rate of 48%, the highest it's ever been, according to the industry's "Paper Recovery Progress Report" for 2000, released late last week.

Recovery of office paper increased to 41.1% from 37.5% in 1999; newspaper recovery climbed to 71% from 68%; and corrugated box recovery jumped to 75% from 70.1%.

The brisk rise in paper recovery is attributable to strong demand overseas for U.S. recovered paper and solid gains in domestic consumption. "The increase in recovery of paper really shows that the paper industry is making every effort to use fiber as efficiently as possible," said W. Henson Moore, president and CEO of the American Forest & Paper Association.

A total of 49.4 million tons of paper were recovered for recycling in 2000, up from 46.8 million tons in 1999, according to the report. This put paper recovery at 48% for 2000, three-percentage points ahead of 1999.

"The paper industry is very close to reaching its goal of recovering 50% of all paper Americans use, said Moore. "The efforts of Americans everywhere to recycle paper from homes, schools and offices are paying off. All that recovered paper is going back into new products."

Today, 87% of U.S. paper makers use recovered fiber to manufacture new paper products. Consumption at U.S. mills increased 2.3% in 2000, despite a 2.8% drop in paper and paperboard production. This means the industry is continuing to shift to recovered paper for its fiber base, Moore said.

"Our business is totally reliant on getting high-quality newspaper from all types of recovery programs, so we're real pleased to see paper recycling growing," said George Elder, vice president, Material Management Group, SP Recycling Corporation. "We've been recycling newspaper for a long time through paper drives and other local collection programs, and really it's still the backbone of most community recycling programs."