Paper sector targets 76% recycling rate by 2030

A target to recycle 76% of all the paper and board consumed in Europe by 2030 has been backed by representatives of the European paper value chain. The

What happened

The commitment comes in a new European Declaration on Paper Recycling 2021-2030 published by the European Paper Recycling Council (EPRC) and launched at the European Paper Recycling Awards in Brussels.

Why it matters

The document sets out measures to optimise the management of paper at every step of a continuous recycling loop. ‘Each step in the process is a distinct industrial sector with only some degree of horizontal integration making cooperation a must to reach the ambitious recycling target,’ the declaration says.

The signatories argue that several enabling conditions from EU and local authorities are required, including ensuring that paper is separately collected to preserve the quality of the material and limiting how much paper waste is sent for energy recovery purposes. The paper value chain is also assessing what additional products could be recycled and how to get access to paper that is not finding its way to separate collection.

‘The recycling rates we have already reached put paper and board as industry frontrunners,’ says Ulrich Leberle, EPRC secretary. ‘Both ongoing initiatives and planned steps will allow us to close the circular economy loop even further.’

This news brief is based on reporting published by Recycling International on 2022-07-05. The original report is linked below.