The paper recycling success story

Paper recycling is so widely available and accepted that it’s not often its success rate is called into question, but several months ago, a pair of industry experts publicly challenged the validity of some of the figures.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), which has been calculating the United States paper recycling rate since 1993, says in its most recent report that the U.S. paper recycling rate is at an all-time high at 68 percent and that the old corrugated containers (OCC), or cardboard, recycling rate is even higher at an astonishing 91.4 percent.

For this month’s cover story (“Shadow of doubt“), I spoke with both the AF&PA as well as the duo questioning OCC recycling numbers—Ryan Fox, corrugated analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, and Myles Cohen, founder of Circular Ventures LLC and a recycling industry veteran. Cohen and Fox claim the number is likely closer to 65 percent than the 91.4 percent reported by the AF&PA.

Both sides offer compelling arguments, but the one thing everyone can agree on is the success story that is paper recycling, especially considering the facts around the recovery of other materials.

Take plastics and glass recycling, for instance.

According to the most recent data available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, of the 12.25 million tons of glass generated in municipal solid waste in 2018, only 3.06 million tons, or 25 percent, were recycled despite glass bottles and jars being totally recyclable.

“The one thing everyone can agree on is the success story that is paper recycling, especially considering the facts around the recovery of other materials.”

The plastic pollution crisis also has been widely publicized, with an October 2022 Greenpeace USA report alleging the postconsumer plastics recycling rate in the United States is an abysmal 5 percent to 6 percent. While the Association of Plastic Recyclers disagrees with the Greenpeace figure, the consensus is that the rate certainly can be improved.

The recycling rate for some plastics is better than others. According to a report the National Association for PET Container Resources released last year, the U.S. recycling rate for postconsumer polyethylene terephthalate is 28.6 percent.

“If OCC has anywhere near a 50 to 70 percent recycling rate, we should be very proud of that and shout it from the top of a mountain,” Cohen says.

The exact numbers and their use certainly can be argued, but, particularly after a pandemic that caused market upheaval, the achievements of the paper recycling industry should be seen as nothing less than successful.