ISRI releases survey results on recovered paper buying preferences

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) has released the preliminary results of the survey of North American recovered paper buyers. The survey is the first of its kind which portrays the views of recovered paper buyers who purchase materials from mixed waste processing centers. The survey also outlines the viability of using recyclables sorted from “one-bin” programs.

According to the survey, the quantity and quality of paper recycling has diminished significantly in those communities where mixed-waste processing systems are put in place. Paper mills who participated in the survey noted that they continue to be increasingly impacted by poor quality and contamination. This in turn has affected their purchasing and sourcing decisions.

The survey showed that 82% of the respondents purchase recovered fiber for up to 6 mills. Also, 49% of the survey participants noted that they purchase between 100,000 tons and 500,000 tons of recovered fiber every year. As per survey, almost 25% buyers purchase materials from dirty MRFs. However, such purchases account for less than 10% of the required tonnage. The remaining 75% of the respondents cited contamination, odor and low quality among various reasons for not purchasing recovered fiber from mixed waste processing centers.

Almost 70% of those who purchase from mixed waste processing centers noted that recovered fiber from such centers are worse than most other recovered paper. Almost 90% of those buyers were forced to downgrade or reject the paper from the mixed waste processing centers at a higher rate than recovered paper from “regular” MRFs.

62% of the survey participants recommends adding a statement that reads “paper recovered from one-bin programs, separated in mixed-waste processing centers, is not fit for use in USA paper mills.” to ISRI specifications.

The online survey was conducted between Jan 11^th and Jan 31^st, 2016 with the help of an independent third party research firm.