Global Forest and Paper Industry Releases Policy Statement on Paper Recycling

WASHINGTON—May 7, 2015—The International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA) released its policy statement on paper recycling. The statement was approved at the ICFPA’s annual meeting held on May 5 in Washington, D.C.

The full statement is available at http://www.icfpa.org/uploads/Modules/Publications/icfpa-statement-on-paper-recycling.pdf.

"Forest and paper associations around the world recognize the importance of paper recovery for recycling," said outgoing ICFPA President Donna Harman. "With this policy statement, we are encouraging national governments to pursue best practices to enable recovered fiber to find its highest end-use."

The global paper recycling rate stands at about 58 percent. Some developed countries have achieved as high as 70 to 75 percent. Many developing countries are establishing infrastructure to help improve paper recycling rates.

The statement calls for educating citizens on the importance of recycling, allowing the marketplace to determine recovered fiber’s best end-use, and ensuring functioning waste markets while respecting national contexts and systems. The ICFPA believes that extended producer responsibility (EPR) systems "should not be a preferred choice where existing markets for collections and reuse of recovered paper are efficient and effective." Instead, improved sorting of waste should be prioritized to increase and ensure the quality of recovered fiber.

The ICFPA’s statement is the latest in a series of policy statements underwritten by its members associations. All ICFPA policy statements are available at icfpa.org/resource-centre/statements.

The ICFPA represents more than 30 national and regional forest and paper associations around the world. Together, ICFPA members represent over 90 percent of global paper production and half of global wood production.

Source: International Council of Forest and Paper Associations.