Paper companies in the United States will be recycling 40 percent of their material, if they comply with the commitments they have made. However, a president of a recycled paper sales company points out that the paper industry considers mill scrap, which had never been meant for public consumption, recycled paper.
Paper damaged in mill and production are included. (like the scraps left after envelopes' manufacturing) in figures on recycling, yet other plants (the production of newspapers, magazines and similar distributions) in addition "recycle" since de-inking tools were designed, but is it reported in the same proportions? While businesses have been warned by federal and state regulators against making false claims regarding environmental effects, the pressure on manufacturers to be "green" will force the issue and may ultimately cause a change in the definition of recycling.
Recycling usually brings to mind old cans or newspapers. It is, however, quite a bit more detailed when discussing paper making. Included in the recycling are printing overruns, and mill and processing errors.
As a result of inconsistent definitions as to what actually constitutes recycled material, Government purchasing programs designed to provide recycling incentives are flawed. The standards as to which paper will be labeled recycled vary from ink removal to using only mill waste.
The 40 percent goal can be easily achieved if mill waste and industrial cuttings are allowed to be included in the category. An additional problem is that of the collection and recycling of paper used in homes and offices. If the industry does not reuse its own waste landfills will fill more quickly.
