AF&PA aims to increase paper recycling by 70% by 2020

Paper Recycling  |  2011-03-31 06:06:08   |   By

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has announced goals to increase the paper recycling rate to over 70 percent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 15 percent by 2020

CHICAGO (Scrap Monster): The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has announced goals to increase the paper recycling rate to over 70 percent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 15 percent by 2020, in what the group calls the most extensive set of goals of any manufacturing industry in the U.S.

The new strategy, entitled Better Practices, Better Planet 2020, sets five major goals for the year 2020: (1) Increase the paper recovery for recycling rate to exceed 70 percent (2) Improve the industry’s energy efficiency in purchased energy use by at least ten percent (3) Reduce the intensity of the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 15 percent

(4) A vision for the industry of zero injuries, and progressing toward that vision by further improving its safety incidence rate by 25 percent by 2020.  (5) Increase the amount of fiber procured from certified forest lands or through certified fiber sourcing programs in the U.S. by 2020, and work with governments, industry and other stakeholders to promote policies around the globe to reduce illegal logging.

AF&PA and its member companies will be accountable for meeting these goals, with progress presented in an annual report on paper recovery and a biennial Sustainability Report, the association said.

The association said that in addition to these goals, it is committing to explore opportunities to reduce water consumption, and will determine whether to set a specific goal for water use.

The association’s members make more than 75 percent of the U.S.’s pulp, paper, paper-based packaging and wood building materials, the AF&PA says. Member companies include Georgia-Pacific, International Paper Company, Domtar Corporation and MWV.

AF&PA continues to support the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), which allows large-scale clearcutting, the conversion of natural forests to plantations, the use of toxic chemicals and GE trees, and the logging of endangered forests, environmentalleader.com reported.