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 Table 4
Recovery of Paper and Paperboard in 1993
(In Millions of Short Tons)
Source:
American Forest & Paper Association, 1994
In 1993, the American paper industry set a goal of recovering 50 percent of paper and
paperboard generated by the year 2000. The industry estimates that 78 percent of all paper
and paperboard recovered domestically in the year 2000 will be used in the manufacture of
new paper and paperboard, 7 percent will be used in other products, and 15 percent will be
exported, The industry projects that much of the growth in use of recovered paper will be in
containerboard (corrugated medium and linerboard) and tissue products, although use in
newsprint and printing and writing paper is expected to grow, as well.
In addition to use in new paper products, recovered paper and paperboard can be used
to make such items as hydraulic mulch and board products used in the construction industry
for insulation and structural applications. Increasing demand for products made with
recovered paper may help increase the supply of these products and can lead to an increase
in the price of these materials. For technical performance and economic reasons, the paper
industry is-not now capable of using 100 percent recovered paper in all of its products.
Also, despite the significant investment made by the paper industry over the last several
years in equipment and capacity to use recovered paper, it is still difficult to find markets for
some grades of recovered paper in some parts of the United States.
2: Plastics
Plastics in the waste stream include non-durable goods such as consumer packaging,
containers, toys, and housewares, durable goods such as furniture, appliances, and
computers; .and commercial/industrial goods such as pipe, cable, siding, and auto parts.
Plastics made up 9.3 percent by weight (19.3 million tons) of municipal solid waste
according to EPA's 1994 characterization study. By volume, plastics were the second
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