Is recycled paper better for the environment than virgin paper?
A. The U.S. is the largest market for paper products in the world, producing 90 million tons of paper annually and, in-turn, consuming about 100 million tons. Despite improved technologies for refining post consumer pulp, virgin fiber is still a significant requirement, as only 35% of current consumption is met by using recycled fiber; in addition, approximately 25% of recovered fiber is exported out of US markets. Roughly 25% by volume of timber cut annually in the US is used for paper production. The answer is from the Forestry Stewardship Council’s (FSC) Website: (http://www.fscus.org/paper/) Q. How does switching to recycled paper reduce greenhouse gas emissions? A. In the landfill, where 80% of discarded paper ends up, the decomposition of paper produces methane, a greenhouse gas with 21 times the heat-trapping power of carbon dioxide. Paper recycling recovers used paper from the waste stream, directly reducing the amount of paper placed in landfills. Thus for recycled papers, any
