The Facts About Paper and Paper Recycling
- In 2007, the amount of paper recovered for recycling averaged 360 pounds for every person in the United States.
- Every ton of paper recycled saves more than 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space.
- By 2012, the paper industry’s goal is to recover 60 percent of all the paper Americans consume for recycling, which is approximately 60 million tons of paper.
- One million tons of recovered paper is enough to fill more than 14,000 railroad cars.
- More than 37 percent of the fiber used to make new paper products in the United States comes from recycled sources.
- 86 percent (approximately 254 million) of Americans have access to curbside or drop-off paper recycling programs.
