Paper Recycling
So far as the UK paper recycling industry is concerned, there are two elements to consider - recovered paper used by domestic mills, and the export of recovered paper. As there is only a very limited supply of wood available from UK forests, the national mills tend to make use of waste paper as their prime source of stock; whilst huge amounts of used newspapers and used cardboard collected in the UK finds its way overseas to Europe, India and China for processing. Waste paper is a vital raw material in the United Kingdom. Its retrieval and processing have both economic and environmental benefits.
Utilisation and Recovery Rates
Two thirds of the UK paper industry is now directly involved in recycling and 75% of the industry's fibrous raw material is recovered paper. In 2006, UK paper and board mills used 4.2 million tonnes of recovered paper, with a further 3.9 million tonnes exported.
Two thirds of the UK paper industry is now directly involved in recycling and 75% of the industry's fibrous raw material is recovered paper. In 2006, UK paper and board mills used 4.2 million tonnes of recovered paper, with a further 3.9 million tonnes exported.
The UK's apparent recovery rate (recovered paper collection compared with paper and board consumption, including imports) for paper and board is around the European average at 65%. However, this rate is measured against the consumption of unconverted paper and board products, and does not take into consideration the net trade in converted products and packaged goods. If unconverted products are included the average recovery rate falls to around 56%. This is well below the European average.
There are limits on recovery: paper is lost when it is used for permanent records, destroyed in use or contaminated. There are around 30 grades of waste paper in Europe, and it is the grade that determines the uses to which it can be put.
Many businesses within the paper recycling industry have serious concerns that the introduction and growth of single stream (co-mingled) collection systems by Local Authorities and the Waste Management industry is unsustainable. This development is having a negative impact on the quality of recovered paper to the detriment of the UK industry, and the long term sustainability of global recovered paper markets in general.
Recovered Paper Market
There is a view that the recovered paper market is cyclical, but the statistics do not actually bear this out. Demand and price do fluctuate, but this is influenced by the global commodity market for recovered paper as well as domestic factors. Papermaking machines are being built in China, Taiwan and India where there are immature recovered paper collection infrastructures. As such these countries are forced to source their recovered paper requirements from developed markets in the USA and Europe. However, this situation is rapidly changing and it is almost inevitable, especially given the low labour costs of these developing countries, that their collection performance will improve quickly.
Despite all the ups and downs, the use of recovered paper has grown on average by between 4-5% a year since 1983. Growth in usage slowed towards the end of the 1990s and has been virtually static for the past couple of years. But the UK has the 5th largest paper and board market in the world so the potential for expansion and increased recycling rates, given the right economic conditions, clearly exists.
Despite all the ups and downs, the use of recovered paper has grown on average by between 4-5% a year since 1983. Growth in usage slowed towards the end of the 1990s and has been virtually static for the past couple of years. But the UK has the 5th largest paper and board market in the world so the potential for expansion and increased recycling rates, given the right economic conditions, clearly exists.
