Recycling Europe: winning with paper and cardboard

Europe leads the world in paper recycling, with a rate of 71.7%. In paper and board packaging, the percentage rises to 81.3%.

At first place in the compared ranking, followed by steel (74%), glass (70%) and aluminium (67%). This is some of the information reported in the “European Declaration on Paper Recycling 2011-2015”, recently published by ERPC (European Recovered Paper Council). A specification further clarifies the extent of the phenomenon: although in 2012 European paper consumption was 13% lower than in 1998, paper recycling grew by one and one half times.

«This outcome was made possible by the commitment of the ERPC and, especially, by the various national organizations, including in Italy, which make up the network that has been working to improve the quantity and quality of pulp since 2000», explains Jori Ringman, director of the institution. «A circuit that has made and continues to make paper recycling a “Made in Europe” industry».

«In Italy – states Medugno, director of Assocarta – paper producers are creating an ecosystem (in both the economic and ecological senses of the term) that is well-established in the territory, which makes up part of a wider industry valued at 32 billion euro in turnover and with 210,000 employees. They put on the market a renewable material and, at the same time, recycle 60% of it». And by the principle of the domino effect in all European countries, on the examples of Spain and France, the sector could further enhance its protection of the environment and growth»