In 2021, 71.4% of all paper and cardboard consumed by citizens of the European Union was recycled, according to the European Paper Recycling Council’s 2021 Monitoring Report. Both consumption of new paper and cardboard and collection of paper for recycling increased. Compared with 2020, the total amount of paper and cardboard collected and recycled by the paper industry in 2021 rose by 2%, reaching 57.1 million tons.
The report will be published on an annual basis to monitor progress towards this new commitment.
The new European Declaration on Paper Recycling 2021-2030 was published on June 29, 2022, declaring a commitment to reach 76% in the recycled paper rate by 2030.
The consumption of paper and cardboard has recovered strongly after the lifting of many restrictions related to the pandemic, reaching a higher level than in 2019, before Covid-19.
Since 2000, the European paper value chain has been committed to the dual objective of improving recycling and increasing efforts
to remove obstacles to paper recycling in Europe.
Across Europe, 10 countries had a recycling rate below 60% in 2021, compared with 8 in 2020. In 2021, 13 countries exceeded recycling rates of 70%, compared with 15 in 2020. Regarding developments in different grades of paper and cardboard, consumption of all graphic papers increased in 2021 for the first time in several years (by 2.7%). Consumption of materials for cardboard boxes increased by 9.9%, while tissues saw a slight decrease.
The EU has increased its targets for recycling municipal waste and packaging waste.
At international level, Europe remains the champion in recycling of paper followed by North America. Paper recycling rates in other regions of the world are improving, but from lower levels. In Europe, paper fibres were used 3.5 times on average in 2021, while the world average was 2.5 times.
