AF&PA: Total volume of paper and paperboard recovered for recycling in the U.S. reached 50.3 million tonnes in 2004

Jul 11, 2005. /Lesprom Network/. The American Forest & Paper Association recently released its annual recovered paper statistical highlights data. In 2004 the total volume of paper and paperboard recovered for recycling in the U.S. reached an all-time high of 50.3 million tonnes. The overall paper recovery rate edged slightly lower to 49.5% due to a slackening in export demand and a rebound in paper and paperboard supply. The overall gain in volume was driven by domestic mill consumption of recovered paper, which rose 3.2%. Expanding domestic and export demand will require a significant increase in recovery to meet AF&PA’s goal to reach 55% paper recovery by 2012. To meet this goal, AF&PA and its partners are focusing on increasing both the quantity and the quality of paper recovered for recycling. In 2004 recovery of office papers rose to an all-time high of 49.1%, recovery of old newspapers remained steady at 73%, paper and paperboard accounted for more than 75% of all packaging material recovered for recycling, making paper the most recovered packaging material. Recovered paper represents 37% of the raw material used to make new products in the U.S., and is utilized in more than three quarters of domestic paper mills. As domestic and export demand for recovered paper continues to grow, increased recovery will be critically important to the industry. AF&PA is the national trade association of the forest, paper and wood products industry. AF&PA represents more than 200 companies and related associations that engage in or represent the manufacture of pulp, paper, paperboard and wood products. The forest products industry accounts for approximately 7% of total U.S. manufacturing output, employs 1.5 million people, and ranks among the top 10 manufacturing employers in 42 states.