Factors influencing a higher use of recovered paper in the European paper industry

Abstract

Europe is one of the global leaders in paper recycling. Recovered paper is an indispensable raw material (around 50% of the fibrous raw material is recovered paper), which contributes to the sustainability of the sector. However, certain factors do have a limiting influence on the possibility of an extended use of recovered paper, such as the quality of the recovered paper, the poor sorting activities, the price for recovered paper, the acceptance/demand of recovered paper-containing products by the consumers, the recyclability of the paper products, etc. Against this background, the COST Action E48 – “The limits of paper recycling” – has analyzed the issues that predominantly influence the competitiveness of the paper and board recycling industry, and detected potentials for an extended use of recovered paper in the European paper industry. The analysis has been carried out on the basis of a detailed and comprehensive questionnaire aiming at collecting experiences and opinions on the situation of the different European countries, related to paper recycling.