Paper Recycling Level Holds Up

The recycling level in the United States remains high, despite a sharp decline in domestic paper consumption, according to a report by the American Forest and Paper Association presented during the annual Paper Week program. According to the report, total recovery of paper and paperboard for domestic use and export increased by 1.1 percent in 2000 and held stable last year.

The stability has been achieved even though apparent consumption of paper and board – domestic production plus imports less exports – dropped by 2.2 percent in 2000 and 5.1 percent last year.

The paper recovery rate for 2000 has been revised down to 45.8 percent from the previously reported rate of 48 percent. The revision reflects updated data regarding mill consumption of recovered paper as reported in the December 2001 AFPA Capacity Survey.

The recovery rate is estimated to have rebounded to 48.3 percent last year as recovery levels held stable, while apparent consumption of paper and paperboard contracted by 5.1 percent.

As to the components of paper recovery, AFPA found that U.S. mill consumption of recovered paper declined 3.5 percent in 2000 and 1.4 percent in 2001. The usage rate, defined as recovered paper consumption at U.S. mills as a percent of paper and paperboard production, declined from 37.1 percent in 1999 to 36.8 percent in 2000. However, it jumped to an all-time high of 38.4 percent last year, as production of paper and paperboard declined more sharply than U.S. mill consumption of recovered paper in 2001.