The Paper and Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council (PPEC) announced the results of its 16th biennial Recycled Content Survey. Every two years, PPEC surveys Canadian mills that make packaging grades about their paper packaging import and export shipments, to determine the average recycled content used to make paper-based packaging products in Canada.
The average recycled content of domestic Canadian shipments of the three major packaging grades – containerboard (used to make corrugated boxes), boxboard (used to make boxboard cartons), and kraft paper (used to make paper bags) – is 81.7 percent, according to the 2020 survey, up from 73.5 percent in 2018. The average has steadily increased from 47 percent in 1990, when PPEC first started collecting recycled content data from Canadian mills.
“PPEC is proud that the average recycled content of paper-based packaging products continues to increase in Canada,” said Chris Bartlett, Chair of PPEC’s Board of Directors. “Recycled content is a key component of a circular economy, as it keeps raw materials flowing longer, reducing the need to extract virgin materials.”
Paper packaging is one of Canada’s original circular economies. Mills produce the raw material used to make paper-based packaging – and the majority use 100 percent recycled content – which is sent to a converter, where it is made into packaging products. Once used by the customer, it is recycled, making its way back to the mill to be remade into new paper packaging products.
“Recycling plays a critical role in the environmental sustainability of the Canadian paper packaging industry,” says Rachel Kagan, PPEC’s Executive Director. “Canadians actively recycle their paper-based packaging, which allows mills to continue to maintain high levels of recycled content in Canadian made paper packaging.”
Other 2020 PPEC Recycled Content Survey findings:
Total Canadian mill shipments: 3.37 million tons
Total recycled content shipments to domestic and export markets: 2.35 million tons
Average recycled content of domestic shipments for all three major packaging grades: 81.7 percent
Average recycled content for domestic shipments of boxboard, which is used to make cereal or shoe boxes: 79.8 percent.
Average recycled content for domestic shipments of containerboard, which is used to make corrugated shipping boxes: 86.5 percent.
Visit ppec-paper.com for more information.
