Paper and paperboard materials are used most often by Americans in everyday activities and routines. Paper and paperboard products include nondurable goods like tissue paper, newspapers, paper plates, cups, and office papers. Containers and packaging products like milk cartons, corrugated boxes, bags, and sacks, are also considered paper and/or paperboard products (EPA). All of these products are included in the piece of pie that is considered paper and paperboard products when the total MSW in the United States is calculated.

Americans use paper and paperboard products so often that it makes up 23.1% or 67,544,400 tons of the Total MSW in the United States, which was the greatest portion of MSW generated in the United States in 2018 (EPA).

In 2018, the United States recycled 46 million tons of paper and paperboard for a recycling rate of 68.2 percent, which was the highest compared to other materials in MSW (EPA). In the last 10 years we have recycled on average 45 million tons of paper and paperboard products, which is much greater than the averages of either combusting the material for energy recovery or simply putting paper products in landfills. Compared to countries like China and India, which make up 36% of the world’s population, have a far less recycling rate than the United States who only make up 4% of the world’s population. China recycles their paper and paperboard products at a rate of 49% as of 2019 and is steadily increasing, while generating 52.44 million tons of paper waste at the same time (Statista). India recycles their paper products at a measly rate of 30% as of 2019, while producing 14 million tons of paper waste (Shastri). I picked these two countries because of the size of their populations compared to the United States and their relativeness to the United States in terms of developed countries.

There are actually many advantages of recycling paper products which include: saving energy, water, and landfill space. However, probably the most important reason to recycle paper is that it reduces greenhouse gas emissions and the recycled fiber is a sustainable, cost-saving resource for making new paper products. When paper decomposes anaerobically in landfills, it produces gas methane into the air. In addition, when trees are cut down to make paper products, more carbon dioxide is released into the air than is absorbed. Recycling paper waste reduces methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which help limits the contribution to global climate change (Blue).

One of the main reasons that the recycle rate for paper waste is so high is that it takes 70% less energy and water than to create new paper products (Green). Because recycling paper takes very little energy and resources, it is more efficient to just recycle it rather than throw it away and let it decompose in landfills. It takes much more effort and resources in order to recycle things like metals or glass. Ways to increase the recycling rate of paper waste even more so is to encourage the use of the three R’s: reduce, reuse, and recycle. In addition, industries and office companies can do their part by maximizing all office recycling opportunities and integrate recycling policies into their companies to further encourage and engage their employees in recycling initiatives.

Blue, Marie-Luise. “The Advantages of Recycling Paper.” Education, 29 Sept. 2016, education.seattlepi.com/advantages-recycling-paper-3440.html.

Green, Jenny. “How Does Recycling Paper Help the Environment?: Shred-It UK.” Shred, Shred-It, 28 July 2015, www.shredit.co.uk/en-gb/blog/sustainability/how-does-recycling-paper-help-the-environment.

“Paper and Paperboard: Material-Specific Data.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 15 Dec. 2020, www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/paper-and-paperboard-material-specific-data.

Shastri Associates. Indian Paper Industry – Paper Recycling Plants, Services & Scrap Recyclers, brownoverseas.com/indian-paper-industry.htm#:~:text=The%20recycle%20rate%20in%20India,increase%20in%20scrap%20fiber%20required.

Wong, Published by Samantha, and Dec 7. “China: Paper Recycling Rate 2019.” Statista, 7 Dec. 2020, www.statista.com/statistics/1076772/china-paper-recycling-rate/#:~:text=Paper%20and%20cardboard%20recycling%20rate%20in%20China%202009%2D2019&text=In%202019%2C%20the%20recycling%20rate,in%20China%20reached%2049%20percent.