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Paper is the most prevalent material in municipal solid waste (MSW) - more commonly known as trash or garbage - and as a result, paper recycling can help us reduce the amount of MSW. This Web area provides information on paper recycling for citizens, students, teachers, professional recyclers, and the paper industry.
Paper Recycling Contest
The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) Paper Recycling Awards 
recognize outstanding programs that promote the recovery of high quality paper for recycling. If you have a successful business, community, school, or university paper recycling program, tell them about it.
Americans recycled more than 50 percent of the paper we used in 2007, but we need to do more. Recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions, conserves natural resources, and saves landfill space. 80 percent of America’s paper mills are designed to use paper collected in recycling programs, and they depend on paper recycling to have the materials they need to operate.
This Web site contains information on the following topics:
- Basic Information - overview and benefits of paper recycling, and information about the paper making process, recovered paper quality, paper grades and collection, and paper recycling markets
- Where You Live - links to local paper recycling information
- Frequent Questions - questions and answers with facts and figures about paper recycling, as well as answers to other frequent questions about paper recycling
- Setting Up a Program - general resources for setting up a recycling program, and specific information for setting up a school or office recycling program, a residential recycling program, or a commercial recycling program
- Best Practices - success stories, sample contract language, and sample ordinances for recycling programs
- Additional Resources - additional information about paper recycling, including information on buying recycled-content paper and paper products, related Links, publications, and a glossary of terms
