About the Project
Reimagining Paper

With climate catastrophes looming, along with an unstable global economy, the time is now to make systemic changes that route us down a more sustainable, and climate-friendly path. Paper production as a whole in North America is a system of processes that could either be helpful to the planet and the population, or quite harmful. Until recently, unfortunately, it has been predominantly harmful. The RePaper Project, however, sees an opportunity to make changes within the paper industry that not only protects our fragile planetary ecosystems, but also creates social conditions that spur technological innovations and creates sustainable job markets.

The Project has defined seven Guiding Principles that drive our programs to create an earth and people friendly paper industry:

1. Transition the recycling collection system from a “trash-based” management system to a resource management system.
2. Maximize fiber recovery.
3. Maximize fiber quality during the entire recovery and recycling process.
4. Maximize recycled paper production capacity.
5. Create a climate-friendly paper industry.
6. Revitalize a thriving, environmentally sustainable paper industry in North America.
7. Rebalance the recycling system to better meet manufacturing needs.

The priority objectives of the RePaper Project are:

• Increase the paper recovery rate to 75% by 2015, with special priority placed on printing and writing papers.
• Increase post-consumer recycled content in printing and writing papers from today's average of 3% to 15% by 2015, and 30% by 2020.
• Increase the dialogue and collaborative partnerships taking place to stimulate paper recycling efforts in North America.

The Project catalyzes collaborative projects to increase fiber recovery as well as to increase industrial capacity for producing recycled content paper.

See this fact sheet to understand why we prefer recycled content paper:
Environmental Benefits of Recycled(226 KB)

Based on the success of the EPN member organizations' work with major paper purchasers to buy recycled paper, the demand for recycled paper is outgrowing the supply of quality recovered fiber and the manufacturing capacity to produce recycled Printing and Writing papers.

Fiber supply, manufacturing capacity, and recycled paper demand are the three foundational structures that contribute to the health of the recycled paper industry and therefore guide the work of the RePaper Project. All three areas must each be strong, equal, and stable in order to create a sustainable recycled paper industry for the long-term.

This fact sheet describes the current state of recovered fiber supply, manufacturing capacity, and demand:
Projections Factsheet(322 KB)

Fiber Supply

The United States collects just 56% of recyclable paper and the American Forest Paper Administration estimates that only 50% of office paper is recovered. This translates to approximately 33 million tons of high-grade paper that could be recycled but is instead removed from the recovery stream. Much of it ends up in landfills, adding to climate warming pollution. It can be estimated that the annual value of that recyclable paper is approximately $2.5 billion.

Goal: Maximize all fiber recovery rates, but with particular emphasis on office paper, to reach a 75% recovery rate by 2015.

The RePaper Project is pursuing the following partnerships and strategies to move us toward this goal:

• Office Building Partnerships
• Regional Paper Recovery Workshops
• University and College Campus Partnerships
• Regional “Directed Fiber” or "Closed Loop" Projects
• Policy Implementation

Manufacturing Capacity

Since 2005, 34% of U.S. pulp and nearly 25% of Canadian pulp is produced from recovered fiber. (Source: RISI) However, the recycled content is distributed unevenly, with some types of products like newsprint and packaging are using high amounts and coated magazine and catalogue papers relatively little.

Of particular concern is high grade pulp suitable for making recycled Printing and Writing papers, including office copy paper. On one hand, in 2005 the paper industry cited deinked pulp demand as one of its few bright economic spots. On the other hand, the few deinking mills left are now running near maximum capacity, meaning that increases in recycled content will require investment in new capacity or expansion of existing capacity.

Goal: Maximize post consumer recycled content in all paper manufactured or purchased in North America, with any virgin fiber harvested from certified sustainable sources. In particular, increase recycled content across all printing and writing papers from the current 3% to a minimum of 15% post consumer in 5 years, while working toward 30% post consumer in 10 years.

The RePaper Project is pursuing the following partnerships and strategies to move us toward this goal:

• Regional “Directed Fiber” or "Closed Loop" Projects
• End-User and Deinking Mill Coordination
• Policy Implementation

Recycled Paper Demand

With increasing commitments from large paper purchasers and companies to buy recycled paper, new incentives are needed which reward these purchases, and encourage new pledges to buy recycled. Currently, few financial incentives exist to boost the sale of recycled paper.

Goal: Highlight the value of recycled paper to major paper purchasers, as well as increase and broaden current financial incentives which reward the purchase and use of recycled paper.

The RePaper Project is pursuing the following partnerships and strategies to move us toward this goal:

• Policy Implementation
• End-User Coordination

RePaper Steering Committee

Five EPN member organizations form the steering committee of the RePaper Project:

Canopy, Conservatree, Green America, Green Press Initiative, and National Wildlife Federation.