Paper and cardboard recycling in the UK is a major success story.

Recovered paper (used paper) is the most important raw material for the UK paper and board industry, representing 73% of the fibre used to manufacture paper and board in the UK in 2010. This equates to 8 million tonnes of paper and cardboard products.

Once used paper and cardboard is collected, graded, and any contaminants removed, it becomes 'recovered paper', the UK's 'Urban Forest'.

The paper industry is the UK's most successful recycler. Paper recycling is crucial in the UK due to the lack of forests (only 12% of the land base is forested).

Excess recovered paper collected from the UK waste stream that is not used by the UK papermaking industry is exported for recycling. In 2010, for example, the UK exported more than 4.3 million tonnes of recovered paper and cardboard.

There are limits on recovery, however: paper and cardboard is lost when used for permanent records eg, books, wallpaper etc, destroyed in use or contaminated. Paper also cannot be recycled indefinitely - the fibres would become too weak, so virgin fibres need to be introduced into the papermaking process.

Almost any used papers can be recycled, including newspapers, cardboard, packaging, stationery, 'direct mail', magazines, catalogues, greeting cards and wrapping paper. It is important that these papers are kept separate from other household waste as papers contaminated with food waste or broken glass, for example, cannot easily be recycled.

Recycling used paper and cardboard also has carbon benefits in comparison to landfilling or incinerating the material with reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Follow the links below for fact sheets and further information about recycling:

• Recovery and Recycling of Paper and Board
• Recycling and Incineration
• How to Recycle Your Paper
• Recycling for Businesses
• Paper and Cardboard Recycling – Greenhouse Gas Benefits Explained

PAPERCHAIN
PaperChain was launched in 1995. It is a highly focused campaign sponsored by UK Papermakers that rely on recovered paper as their primary raw material.

PaperChain’s ongoing objectives are to:

• identify and promote waste paper collection scheme methodologies that deliver high quality recovered paper for efficient papermaking;
• create an environment that stimulates and nurtures investment in UK recycling infrastructure and reprocessing capacity;
• reduce the carbon impact of paper recycling in the UK.

For further information visit www.paperchain-recycling.org.uk