AF&PA recognizes programs that aided record increase in paper recovery for 2009

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) announced that a record-high 63.4 percent of the paper consumed in the United States was recovered for recycling in 2009. This exceeds the industry’s 60 percent recovery goal 3 years ahead of schedule. To balance growing global demand for recovered fiber and decreased paper consumption, increasing recovery nationwide remains a priority.

Successful recycling programs contribute to the recovered paper rate. Some of the most effective programs received recognition from AF&PA including the following 2010 AF&PA Recycling Award winners:

• AF&PA School Recycling Award – Parkway School District, Chesterfield, Missouri.

The Parkway School District, serving 18,000 students in 29 buildings, started their recycling program after several elementary students requested of the Board of Education that they be better environmental stewards. The results are impressive, including the recovery of more than 1,031 tons of newspaper, magazines, catalogs, direct mail, office paper, envelopes, and brochures, along with more than 138 tons of paper-based packaging in 2009.

• AF&PA Business Leadership Recycling Award – Continental Airlines.

Thanks to a renewed commitment to the environment in recent years, Continental Airlines has significantly increased the effectiveness of its recycling program by maximizing cost-effective, manageable, and sustainable collection efforts. In 2009, Continental recovered 35,000 tons of paper from its aircraft, hubs, offices and supporting facilities.

• AF&PA Community Recycling Award – Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Developed in 1997, the Virginia Beach recycling program includes a customized, voluntary, single-stream, automated system that services 124,000 residents, 94 City schools and 106 municipal buildings, along with five public-use drop-off sites. Thanks to a variety of education and outreach efforts, the City of Virginia Beach recovered nearly 23,800 tons of paper and paper-based packaging in 2009 – more than 68 percent of all recyclables collected.