While other materials, such as shrink wrap plastic or used cooking oil (UCO), can only be reused two to three times, paper can be repurposed five to seven times before the fibers become too short and weak to be used again. We’re able to recycle this much paper simply because of how recyclable paper is. The rate of cardboard (OCC) recycling is even more impressive, with the American Forest & Paper Association reporting an OCC recycling rate of 91.4 percent in 2021. In fact, we recycle so much paper that our paper recycling rate has either met or exceeded 63 percent every year dating back to 2009. In the same year that we saw 67.4 million tons of paper waste produced, approximately 46 million tons of that waste was recycled for a recycling rate of 68.2 percent, the highest rate compared to other materials found in MSW.

In 2018 alone, the total generation of paper and paperboard waste was 67.4 million tons, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which accounted for 23.1 percent of total municipal solid waste (MSW) generation that year.Īmerica also recycles a lot of paper. The United States produces a lot of paper waste. Luckily, paper is one of the most widely recycled materials in the world. We rely so heavily on the benefits of paper products, that we must be able to produce more of them in a sustainable fashion. Adults do the same (often minus the crafts and textbooks) in our offices and workplaces.Įven at the grocery store, we are often asked the perennial question: “Paper or plastic?” when it comes time to check out (of course, your answer to this should always be, “I brought my own!”). Our kids write, draw, take notes, build crafts, and read from textbooks every day in school using paper products.

If some of that milk spills, you can clean it right up with a paper towel. Many of us start our days with the help of paper products-the packaging of our favorite breakfast cereal contains paperboard, as does the carton of milk we use along with it. Paper and paper products exist in every facet of our lives. This article is part of Rubicon’s Spring Greening series, where you can learn how to green up your cleanup this spring.

Download recycle shredded paper