We need to do as well with the resources we rely on, including natural fibers and especially paper.
Paper is one of the largest components of the waste stream going into landfills.
Paper recycling is increasing at an encouraging rate after struggling through the 1980s, yet there is still a long way to go. A requirement for recycled content in Federal government purchases has provided a boost, and the push for rapid adoption of recycling in Europe has also helped paper mills progress here. The subsidies for harvesting fresh or virgin wood fiber have decreased some and the market has responded. Office paper recycling is now up to 36 percent of total use and newspaper recycling is up to 46 percent. The demand for recycling has led to rapid increases in recovered pulp paper production, from 574,000 tons in 1994 to a forecasted 2.3 million tons in 1997.