In 1996, 42.3 million tons of paper were recycled in America. (Source: "Recycling and Buy Recycled Fact Sheets" America Recycles Day)

The overall paper and paperboard recovery rate was 44.7 percent for 1996. The total weight of paper and paperboard recovered in 1996 was 42.3 million tons, or 295 pounds per American citizen. (Source: American Forest and Paper Association)

In 1996, the average American recycled 329 pounds of paper- a 9% increase over 1995. (Source: "Recycling and Buy Recycled Fact Sheets" America Recycles Day)
 

What goes into paper?

• 37% Managed regenerated forests that have been logged and then encouraged to grow again by natural means, such as seeding.
• 29% Industrial pulp plantations that produce fast-growing trees such as some pines and eucalystus.
• 1% Tropical rain forest.
• 1% Original temperate forests (United States, parts of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Europe and China).
• 15% Original boreal forests (Alaska, Canada, Russia and Scandinavia).
• 17% Unmanaged naturally regenerated forests.

By Recycling 1 ton of paper you save:

• 17 trees
• 6953 gallons of water
• 463 gallons of oil
• 587 pounds of air pollution
• 3.06 cubic yards of landfill space
• 4077 Kilowatt hours of energy

In the manufacturing process of Recycled Paper:

• 74% Less air pollution is generated
• 35% Less water pollution is generated
• 58% Less water is required
• 64% Less energy is required
• 31 billion gallons of water could be saved every month by installing water efficiency shower heads in our homes.

Paper and paperboard account for more than 60% of all materials diverted from the municipal solid waste stream for recycling and composting. In 1993, nearly 36 million tons of paper were recovered in the United States-twice as much as in 1980. More than one of every two newspapers, nearly 60% of all corrugated material and one third of all paper and paperboard packaging ( compared to 12% of all other packaging) are being recovered. One third of all paper collected in the world is recovered in the United States, where an average of 267 pounds in now recovered annually by each citizen (compared to 257 pounds per person in Japan). In all, Americans now recover 40% of all paper used- achieving a goal the industry set for 1995 two years ahead of schedule. Importantly, the U.S. paper industry has set its sights even higher with a new goal to recover- for recycling and reuse - one half of all paper used in the year 2000. (Source: American Forest and Paper Association)

Recycling and Reuse
Everyday, U.S. papermakers recycle enough paper to fill a 15 mile long train of boxcars. 75% of the more than 500 U.S. paper and paperboard mills recycle some recovered paper- and 200 depend in it entirely. In the year 2000, an estimated 78% of recovered paper will be recycled domestically: 15% will be exported to foreign recyclers; and the remaining 7% will be reused to make products such as animal bedding, insulation, hydromulch and compost. At the turn of the century, recovered paper is expected to supply 40% of all fiber used to make paper and paperboard products- up from 25% in 1988. (Source: American Forest and Paper Association)

Diversion from landfills
Even though paper consumption has increased significantly less paper is going to landfills-11 million fewer tons in 1993 than 1987. In all, U.S. paper recovery last year saved more than 90 million cubic yards of landfill space. In, 1993, for the first time in history, more paper was recovered in the United States than was landfilled. (Source: American Forest and Paper Association)

Newspapers saves 17 trees for each ton of recycled newspaper.

Newspapers used for newsprint, paperboard products (shoe boxes, backings for writing tablets), cellulose insulation (attics of homes), building materials (wallboard, roofing felt, ceiling tiles) (Source: Waste Management, Inc.)

36 tall stack of newspaper saves the equivalent of about 14% of the average household electric bill. (Source: National Polymers Inc.)

If all morning newspapers read around the country were recycled, 41,000 trees would be saved daily and 6 million tons of waste would never end up in landfills (Source: Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries)

• 13.1 million tons, or 6.3% of MSW by weight.
• 10.7 million tons of this are newpaper and 2.4 million tons are advertising inserts printed on newprint.
• 99 pounds per person per year.
• 118 newspages per pound.

• 7 million tons for a 5.3% recycling rate.
• Industry data show 7.7 million tons recovered for a 61% recovery rate in 1995 and 7.4 million tons recovered for a 63% recovery rate in 1996.

• 26% of the fiber in American newspapers comes from ONP.
• 27 states have voluntary or mandatory requirements that newspapers sold in those states contain prescribed amounts of recycled fiber.

• 6.1 million tons or 4.1% of discarded MSW by weight.

• 17.6 million cubic yards or 4.3% of landfilled MSW by weight in 1993.

• 12" stack weighs 35 pounds.
• Loose, unbaled newspapers weigh 360-500 pounds per cubic yard.
• Baled newspapers weigh 720-1000 pounds per cubic yard.
• Landfilled newspapers weigh 800 pounds per cubic yard.

• Newspaper standard basis weight declined from 32 pounds per 3000 square feet in 1974 to 30 pounds per 3000 square feet in 1995.
• Average number of newspages per pound increased from 93 in 1985 to 118 in 1995.

Tissue and towels

Approximately 5.8 million tons of tissue grades, consisting of toilet and facial tissue, paper napkins, towels, diapers, and various other sanitary products are produced in the U.S. annually. In 1992, approximately 3.5 million tons of scrap paper was used to make to manufacture these products. (Source: American Paper Institute)

Construction Products

Approximately 1.5 million tons of construction products are made each year of paper. These include insulation, gypsum wallboard, roofing paper, flooring, padding, and sound-absorbing materials. All use recycled scrap paper, yet most consumers are unaware of these building materials made with a high recycled paper content. (Source: Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries)

Molded products

Paper egg cartons, fruit trays, flower pots, as well as some industrial and construction products, are made from scrap paper that is repulped and molded into this special-use packaging. (Source: Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries)

Junk Mail

• Americans receive almost 4 million tons of junk mail a year.
• About 44% of the junk mail is never opened.
• Every person in the United States receives junk mail that represents the equivalent of one and a half trees a year.
• If only 100,000 people stopped their junk, mail, we could save up to 150,000 trees annually.
• If a million people did this, we could save up to a million and a half trees.

Paper Producers
Expected wood pulp production in millions of metric tons in 1998.
*Russia and 11 states of the former Soviet Union