U.S. Recovers a Record-Breaking 63.4% of Consumed Paper Last Year

Last year, a record-breaking 63.4% of the paper consumed was recovered for recycling. Not only is this the highest recovery rate ever, it exceeds the U.S. paper industry goal of 60% three years ahead of schedule.

While the recovery ratio has increased, consumption has actually dropped. About 50 million tons of paper and cardboard were recovered last year. But 2007 saw the highest volume year so far with 52 million tons.

A lot of this comes from aggressive corporate efforts to reduce both consumption and the cost of paper usage. HP avoided sending 83,866 tons of waste to the landfill in 2008--most of which was paper waste. The reduction was due to their non-hazardous waste reduction program.

It saved the company $7.7 million from reusing items and avoiding landfill costs. It also generated a revenue of $2.2 million by selling materials to recyclers.

Source: Environmental Leader

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