Paper & Card
Paper & Card wastes include any single one or mixture of Paper, Card, Cardboard, board/plastic composites and other paper composite products. A proportion of Paper & Card is considered to be Packaging Waste.
In addition to recycling, a significant portion of paper and card waste is sent to energy recovery facilities as part of the waste mix where recycling has not fully recovered the material. Where this material is in the waste mix and sent to energy recovery facilities it is counted as Biomass/Renewable content.
Each time Paper & Card is recycled the fibre length shortens, resulting in a progressive use towards lower grades of Paper & Card products over time.
Paper & Cardboard Waste Arisings by Economic Classification (UK 2020)
Paper & Cardboard Waste Arisings
- 7,715.87 thousand tonnes (UK 2020 per above)
- 6,835.32 thousand tonnes (England 2020)
- 88.6% of tonnage was from England
Data source: [1]
Paper & Cardboard Waste Arisings (Waste Category and Economic Classification)
Commercial and Industrial* | UK 2020 | England 2020 | England 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
Manufacturing | 1,118.64 | 995.00 | 1,088.31 |
Water Treatment | 2.04 | 0.63 | 0.83 |
Services | 3,701.11 | 3,197.81 | 3,262.64 |
Total | 4,821.79 | 4,193.44 | 4,351.83 |
% Total and % England | 62.5% | 61.3% |
Municipal Solid Waste* | UK 2020 | England 2020 | England 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
Services | 3,701.11 | 3,197.81 | 3,262.64 |
Household | 2,868.63 | 2,636.18 | 2,288.91 |
Total | 6,569.74 | 5,833.99 | 5,551.54 |
% Total and % England | 85.1% | 85.4% |
All figures in thousand tonnes. Data source: [1] * See data limitations.
Paper and Cardboard Waste Arisings Trends[1]
Notes
- England represents c. 89% of UK Paper & Cardboard Arisings
- England trend is shown as the data runs to 2022, whereas UK data only runs to 2020 at the current time
- Packaging Waste are c.69.5% of total Paper and Cardboard Wastes. Packaging Paper and Cardboard for the UK are shown for both arisings and recovery/recycled (68.9% in 2022)
Categories of Paper & Card
The grouping of Paper & Card is a broad category but captures a wide range of different specific categories/types within the recycling sector that essentially specializes in the recycling and the national and international trading of the fibre (from the different types) back into paper and cardboard (and to some degree the value of fibre in recycled paper and card types links back the value and availability of fibre derived from trees and wood).
Simpler Recycling Categories
Under Simpler Recycling[2] Paper and Card is required to be separatley collected and is defined as all paper and card except:
- Paper and card that contains glitter or foil
- Paper that is laminated
- Stickers and sticky paper
- Padded lined envelopes
- Paperback and hardback books
- Wallpaper
Paper and Card Sale Grades
Whilst the macro split is into essentially into Paper & Card, the businesses specialising in these material trade in the wider markets which have a global influence. Categories and grades might include, for example:
- Mixed Papers
- Old KLS (also sometimes combined with OCC)
- NEWS and PAMS
- OCC 11 (grade 11)
- Over Issue
- Best White No.2
- Sorted Office Waste
EU Grades
A European list of standard grades of paper and board is captured in EN 643 which was revised in 2013[3]. There are 5 groups that fall with in the definition of 'Paper and Board for Recycling', further defined as natural fibre-based paper and board suitable for recycling; consisting of paper and board in any shape or product made predominately from paper and board, which may include other constituents that cannot be removed by dry sorting, such as coatings, laminates, spiral bindings etc. The Groups under EN 643 are:
- Ordinary Grades
- Medium Grades
- High Grades
- Kraft Grades
- Special Grades
Local Authority Waste
The Top 10 Authorities removing Paper & Card. Paper & Card includes the following sub groups of material: Paper, Card, Mixed Paper & Card and Books
