Quick Dips

Wasteful Recycling?

A report prepared for the Pulp and Paper Research Organisation of the NZ Forest Research Institute claims that recycling paper may, in some circumstances, be counter-productive.

The study compared the impacts of paper production from recycled fibre and from virgin fibre on factors such as landfill minimisation, forest conservation, energy consumption and greenhouse effects. It suggests that although significantly increased levels of recycling would reduce the amount of paper buried in landfills, it could also lead to increased water and energy consumption, and waste discharge, within New Zealand.

Burning paper to generate useful energy can be a better option than recycling if waste paper has to travel long distances for processing, as transportation erodes the energy savings from recycling.

The report advises that there should be a focus on getting all paper producers to reduce their individual environmental impacts, and recommends that decisions on whether to support paper collection for recycling should be made on the basis of costs and alternatives rather than general impressions or interest group pressures.