Environmental awareness and paper recycling

Abstract

The collection and utilization of recovered paper has increased over the past decades all over the world and this trend will continue. However, paper recycling is limited by the availability of resources, as well as by their recovery and quality. The paper describes how environmental awareness plays an important role in overcoming these limits. Firstly, the works carried out within the framework of COST Action E48 – “The limits of paper recycling” – are presented. These works have analysed the most important driving forces for extending the collection of recovered paper in Europe and established that environmental awareness is a key factor. Secondly, different initiatives for the development of environmental awareness and promotion of paper recycling – mainly based on information and educational campaigns, with special emphasis on child education – are presented.