When I was a kid my family recycled. We were very unusual in doing this and had to go to great lengths to get our recyclables to a place we could drop them off. By the time I was in grad school, it was much more common to recycle and even some Republican-leaning friends of mine were recycling.

Then city after city started making separation of recyclables mandatory. Los Angeles, Santa Cruz and NYC are the last three American cities I lived in and all three have laws requiring recycling. This is real progress that is often overlooked.

But there is another and probably even more important side to the equation: a market for recycled products. If there is no market, then recycling does little good.

Metal recycling is always worthwhile because there is a large market for them. The market for recycled glass is much smaller because bottlers find it easier and cheaper to make bottles de novo. In between are the different kinds of paper and plastics.

But one disturbing trend is a DECLINE in the market for recycled paper. This comes from the Union of Concerned Scientists:

Is Recycled Paper in Trouble?
March 2007

The growing presence of recycled paper has led many people to believe that all paper is now made from recycled materials. This unfortunate misconception has actually decreased demand for recycled paper, causing manufacturers to produce less. As a result, more than 90 percent of printing and writing paper still comes from virgin tree fiber.

The benefits of producing paper from recycled fibers are many: fewer trees cut down, less water and energy consumed, less pollution generated. And now that studies have shown today’s recycled paper products are comparable to conventional products in quality, performance, and cost, the case for buying recycled is stronger than ever. To help expand this market while meeting your needs and budget, ask these questions when shopping for paper products:

What is the percentage of recycled content?

Recycled paper contains varying percentages of post-consumer waste (paper that has been used and recycled by the consumer); the remaining recycled content derives from miscellaneous paper mill scraps. While any recycled paper is generally better than non-recycled, paper with a higher percentage of post-consumer content is the best choice. If a percentage is not listed, contact the manufacturer.

Where did the paper originate?

If you cannot buy a paper product that is 100 percent recycled, look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification label. This paper comes from forests managed in an environmentally responsible manner.

What about “tree-free” alternatives?

Paper doesn’t have to come from wood pulp; fibers from hemp, kenaf, flax, cotton, banana stalks, and other plant-based materials can be used to produce paper with fewer chemicals and less energy. Tree-free paper is generally more expensive than its conventional counterpart, but is available from a variety of companies. As with conventional paper, look for a product with high post-consumer recycled content.

How was the paper processed?

Papers (even tree-free ones) are often bleached with chlorine or chlorine derivatives that form dioxin—a known carcinogen—and other compounds that pollute local air and water supplies. Look for products labeled either processed chlorine free (PCF) or totally chlorine free (TCF).

Related Links

Conservatree—List of Recycled and Tree-Free Papers

Recycled Paper Coalition—Recycled Paper Fact Sheet (pdf)

Forest Stewardship Council—FSC-Certified Paper

I would add that there is some GREAT stuff about forestry and recycling in Jared Diamond's book Collapse.

Joy and I use lots of recycled paper products. We don't have a consistent source of recycled printer paper we use so I can't recommend one (though if you have a suggestion, I would love to hear it!). But for napkins, tissues, toilet paper and paper towels we buy in bulk from Real Goods. Buying in bulk keeps the price reasonable though it takes up a large corner of our small NYC apartment and Real Goods paper products are among the most environmentally sound products. The quality is below the best (and most expensive) of non-recylced items but is about equal to average non-recycled products.

Purchase of recycled products instead of virgin-made products is one of the best ways you can decrease your carbon use and environmental impact, though sometimes you have to shop around to get good prices.