Print and Paper is a wasteful product

Print and Paper is a wasteful product

The European recycling rate for paper reached 72% in 2014 - that amounts to 2 tonnes of paper being recycled every second!
European Declaration on Paper Recycling, Monitoring Report 2014
The European paper industry is a leading recycler and, with local collecting systems improving, will increase its recycling rates even further.
In some regions, recycling rates range from 70-75%, which is likely the practical maximum recycling rate. Some paper products cannot be recovered for recycling because they are kept for long periods of time (books) or archived (records); others are destroyed or contaminated when used (e.g. tissue and hygienic paper).
5
Paper is recycled, on average, 3.5 times a year in Europe, while over 50% of the raw material for Europe’s paper industry is paper for recycling. Paper cannot be recycled indefinitely as fibres get too short and worn out to be useful in creating a new sheet of paper. More importantly, the production cannot be based on 100% recycled fibre as 100% of consumption cannot be collected and as Europe is also a global net exporter of paper which is consumed and collected outside of Europe. The cycle must therefore constantly be refilled with new fibres.2
Two Sides encourages responsible paper consumption. Double-sided printing in the office and separate collection schemes will reduce costs and improve sustainability.
Top