paper & the environment
sustainability
In keeping with the forest product industry’s legacy as a leader in sustainability, the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has announced a new initiative called “Better Practices, Better Planet 2020: Continuing AF&PA’s Commitment to Sustainability”. This comprehensive set of quantifiable sustainability goals is the most extensive to date for a major U.S. manufacturing industry.
With Better Practices, Better Planet 2020, the industry has set specific, challenging goals for increasing recovery of paper for recycling, increasing energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainable forestry practices, while continuing to strive for the safest workplaces possible.
What does this mean for paper recycling?
To remain a sustainability leader, the industry has set a goal to futher increase recovery for recycling to exceed 70 percent by 2020.
Industry-led efforts to increase paper recovery for recycling are among the best examples of how we are protecting our environment and meeting our economic and social commitments.
- The paper industry has led the way by setting and achieving incremental paper recovery goals since 1990. In the 20 year since, recovery has nearly doubled.
- In 2010, 63.5 percent of the U.S. paper consumed was recovered.
- By comparison, according to the EPA municipal solid waste data, only 25.5 percent of glass, 20.3 percent of aluminum and 7.1 percent of plastics consumed were recovered for recycling in 2009.
- In 2010, 87 percent of the population had access to curbside and/or drop-off paper recycling
- To help educate students and their families about the importance of paper recycling, AF&PA carried out programs in conjunction with Scholastic and Keep America Beautiful to deliver curricula straight to the classroom. Further, the annual AF&PA Recycling Awards recognize outstanding business, community and school paper recycling programs.
Setting and working toward achieving the sustainability goals will keep the industry focused on efforts that create value in society and for the companies, preserving and growing economic contributions of the industry and its businesses, while also fostering the well-being of industry employees and the communities in which they live and work.
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Additional resources
- In 2010, 63.5 percent of the paper used in the U.S. was recovered for recycling. This represents an 89 percent increase in the recovery rate since 1990.
- 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 2010 the amount of paper recovered for recycling averaged 334 pounds for each man, woman and child in the United States.