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Q.1099: In 2010 USA recovered 63.5 % of paper/paperboard used but only 36% fibers came from recycling: where is the balance?
Ans. It seems there is a contradiction in the two numbers but diversion/loss of recovered paper due to following reasons cause the difference
- US is the largest exporter of recovered (waste) paper and about 30% of recovered paper is exported.
- Writing and printing paper may contain up to 40% fillers, which is either lost during recycling or not counted as "fiber"
- Paper contains from 4 to 8% water
- Recovered paper contains 2 to 10% rejects
Where Recovered Paper Goes
Data for the year 2011 indicates that 30 percent of the paper and paperboard recovered in the U.S. went to produce containerboard (i.e., the material used for corrugated boxes) and 11 percent went to produce boxboard, which includes folding boxes and gypsum wallboard facings.
Exports of recovered paper to China and other nations absorbed 42 percent of the paper collected for recycling in the U.S. in 2011.
| Packaging Type | Thousand Tons Recovered | Share of Total |
| Newsprint | 1,836 | 3.0% |
| Tissue | 4,084 | 8.0% |
| Containerboard | 15,993 | 30% |
| Boxboard | 6,046 | 11.0% |
| Other | 2,634 | 5.0% |
| Net Exports | 22,174 | 42.0% |
| Total | 52,767 | 100% |
| 2011 data | ||
| Annual AF&PA Fiber Survey/U.S. Bureau of Census |