The Future of Paper and Cardboard Recycling
Today, recycled card and paper are ubiquitous, and the industry holds a solid claim to being one of our earliest and most successful recycling initiatives. In fact, the history of paper and card recycling goes all the way back to the 19th century, when an increased demand for books and writing materials led paper manufactures to bulk-buy books at auction with the idea of turning them into fresh paper for writing and printing.
However, while our appetite for the printed word may have been reduced in the face of a global digital transformation, there’s still plenty of waste paper and cardboard to go around, and a healthy recycling industry that surrounds it too. So, why we might not be pulping books to make more books any longer, demand for recycled fibers remains strong, and the challenges surrounding waste collection and processing have merely shifted to other sectors.
So, what does the future hold for paper and cardboard recycling? And what types of challenges does it face as paper consumption continues to grow? Here, we look at how the industry is preparing for even more paper and card as the world embraces new products, packaging, and other innovations.
Goodbye Plastic Packaging. Hello Recycled Card
Many industry players are predicting a surge in cardboard packaging used for food and drink over the next few years as manufacturers move away from single-use plastics and their associated environmental impact. In fact, high-profile multinationals such as Coca Cola and Carlsberg have recently begun exploring card-based bottles in which to distribute beverages to consumers, while other manufacturers are exploring paper-based products for restaurants using take-out services such as Uber Eats and Grubhub.
Add to this the rise of eCommerce sites such as eBay and Amazon over the last decade, and even now the amount of cardboard packaging in circulation is significant enough to be the single largest component of municipal solid waste in the US. The recycling industry is bracing itself for a new influx of packaging which will make newspaper and book recycling look tiny in comparison.
Collection and Waste Diversion
Among the many challenges for the recycling industry, the efficient collection and diversion of waste materials remain problematic. Not only do manufacturers and distribution centers produce lots of card and paper waste, but as paper becomes increasingly common in consumer goods, municipalities must also deal with larger amounts of bulky packaging.
Cardboard and paper balers are seen as one answer to this problem, and while many commercial centers continue to use these machines, the decreasing costs of this technology are now becoming part of the consumer landscape too. Particularly in multifamily building and high-rises, cardboard balers compact large amounts of material into a smaller volume–allowing for both more efficient storage and collection.
Additionally, on-demand collections fueled by greater access to digital technology such as smartphones are also making collection and diversion more efficient. Now, large quantities of cards and paper can be collected and efficiently delivered to the correct recycling facilities simply by connecting with haulers through an app—boosting recycling rates by leveraging the latest technologies to directly connect waste producers with haulers and recycling facilities.
Better Sorting Through Technology
Sorting cardboard and paper waste also pose a problem, particularly when products containing multiple materials are concerned. New packaging materials, especially those within the food & drinks industry, often also contain plastic, and separating materials is crucial to efficient recycling.
Today, advanced machines are being developed to solve this problem, and as they become increasingly efficient, it is thought that paper and card recycling will be given a huge boost as products such as Tetrapaks, or other multi-material items, are more easily separated and sorted to ensure the end material is of high enough quality to be used in new products.
The future of the cardboard and paper recycling industry is intrinsically tied to the way we consume. The industry itself is preparing to meet the challenges of our new habits, gearing up to deal with new products and packaging generated by the continued rise of e-commerce and a move towards more environmentally friendly food and drink packaging.
However, minimizing our consumption of all materials should always be the priority, and embracing a more circular economy while using sustainable and recycled paper is the key to ensuring the recycling industry can keep up with demand.
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