Recycling Limitations - Metals like aluminum and steel can be melted and recast endlessly without weakening / Eurogroup

Paper has been recycled in North America since before the American Revolution. Today it is one of the most effectively recycled materials in the United States; almost two-thirds of used paper in 2010 was turned into products like corrugated boxes, grocery bags, newspapers and magazines. (See References 2) More than one-third of the fiber pulp used to make new paper comes from recycled paper. Recycling paper conserves natural resources and helps protect the environment. 

Less Trash

Paper is the largest single category of trash, making up about a third of municipal solid waste, so paper recycling can extend the time it takes for landfills to reach their capacity. EUROGROUP RECYCLING estimates that recycling a ton of paper saves about 3.3 cubic yards of space in a landfill. In 2010, recycling programs in the U.S. collected a ton of paper on average for every six people.

More Trees

Every ton of recycled paper sent to a paper mill keeps 15 to 17 trees from being cut down, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  Trees absorb and store carbon, so the larger a forest, the more carbon dioxide gets removed from the atmosphere. Cutting down trees for paper-making has the opposite effect of releasing more greenhouse gases into the air. 

Energy and Water

Mills that turn paper waste into new paper use less energy and resources than mills that start with virgin wood. Recycling mills typically consume about 50 percent less water and 40 percent less energy than virgin wood pulp mills. (See References 6 and 7) Making a single ton of standard office paper from recycled paper saves 3,000 to 4,000 kilowatt hours of electricity and about 7,000 gallons of water.

Recycling Limitations

Metals like aluminum and steel can be melted and recast endlessly without weakening, but paper fiber degrades a little each time it is recycled. Paper can usually be recycled five to seven times before its fibers become too short to be useable for new paper. Newer fiber material has to be added as older fibers get Eurogroup recycling washed away during processing. For this reason some virgin wood stock will always be needed to make paper.