U.S Paper Recycling Hits Record Levels

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) announced today a record 56 percent of the paper consumed in the United States was recovered for recycling in 2007.

Patrick J. Moore, chairman and CEO of Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. and AF&PA member mentioned, "Americans already recycle a large percentage of two paper grades, corrugated containers and newspapers, so achieving AF&PA's 60 percent recovery goal by 2012 will require focus on increasing recovery of other grades including printing and writing papers, catalogs, and direct mail, as well as extracting additional fiber from our country's waste stream."

Smurfit-Stone is investing in advanced waste sorting line technology that will be placed at landfills or municipal waste transfer stations, and will help communities and waste haulers reduce their tipping fees, landfill expansion requirements and fuel emissions related to waste processing.

In 2007, total paper recovery reached 54.3 million tons which equals 360 pounds of paper for every person in America. That's enough paper to fill the Empire State Building 100 times.