According to Packworld, “The American Forest & Paper Association has announced that a record 67.2% of paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling in 2016.” This is great news for the packaging industry!
Since 1990, the American Forest & Paper Association has been tracking the paper recovery rate. In 1990, “the paper recovery rate measured 33.5%.” While 67.2% is still a significant increase from the 1990 baseline. AF&PA member companies are hoping to reach their goal at least 70% U.S. paper recovery rate by 2020 as part of the Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 sustainability initiative.
AF&PA Board Chair and Clearwater Paper Corporation President and CEO Linda Massman says, “paper recovery for recycling helps extend the useful life of paper and paper-based packaging products, making it an integral part of our industry’s sustainability story.” Due to the commonality of paper and paper-based products in packaging, the recycling efforts are an integral part of staying sustainable.
To view the rest of this article please visit: