Recovery of Printing-Writing Papers

While new supply (i.e., purchases) of printing-writing and related papers declined by more than 5 percent in 2011, printing-writing paper recovery contracted just 1.2%. The recovery rate for printing-writing papers consequently increased to an estimated 56.8 percent in 2011, up by 2.2 percentage points relative to the 2010 level.

graph
  Printing-Writing Paper Supply
(000 tons)
Total Recovered
(000 tons)
Recovery Rate
199429,44410,070 34.2%
199529,55010,770 36.4%
199628,30010,220 36.1%
199730,75010,710 34.8%
199831,38411,825 37.7%
199932,61612,695 38.9%
200033,07813,910 42.1%
200130,38312,030 39.6%
200230,94411,765 38.0%
2003 31,010 12,560 40.5%
2004 32,711 13,940 42.6%
200532,020 14,13544.1%
200632,39815,69648.4%
200731,059 16,618 53.5%
2008 28,075 15,350 54.7%
2009 23,028 14,038 61.0%
2010 23,512 12,826 54.6%
2011 22,298 12,673 56.8%

did you know...

  • Paper and paperboard recovery has increased 81% between 1990 and 2011.
  • Every ton of paper recycled saves more than 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space.
  • 87 percent (268 million) of Americans have access to curbside or drop-off paper recycling programs.
  • In 2011 the amount of paper recovered for recycling averaged 338 pounds for each man, woman and child in the United States.

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