Paperboard or plastic?
78 million tonnes
of plastic packaging is produced every year. The majority of this is made with non-replaceable fossil fuels.

Total plastic packaging recycling rates

Europe
USA

Total paper and paperboard packaging recycling rates

Europe
USA
plastic packaging
paperboard packaging
32% leaks out of the collection system — that is, either it is not collected at all, or it is collected but then illegally dumped or mismanaged.
40 % landfilled.
14% is sent to an incineration and/or energy recovery process, mostly through incineration in mixed solid waste incinerators.
14% collected for recycling.
Today, 95% of plastic packaging material value or USD 80–120 billion annually is lost to the economy after a short first use.
The plastics industry as a whole is highly reliant on finite stocks of oil and gas.
8% cascaded recycling: Recycling of plastics into other, lower-value applications.
2% closed-loop recycling: Recycling of plastics into the same or similar-quality applications.
4 % process losses.
Source
From printing & writing papers, such as copy paper, old newsprint and magazines.
Process loss
59 % recycled fibre.
Reject in sorting.
The world paper and board recovery rate is predicted to reach 61% in 2019.
- Landfill
- Littering
- Energy recovery
Paperboard demand 209 million tonnes.
31 % virgin fibre.
Paperboard production 209 million tonnes.
10% of the paperboard's composition are coatings and fillers such as kaolin and starch.
Source

Recycle again and again

Wood fibre is the perfect solution for the circular economy. Unlike plastic, paperboard is already recycled effectively.

Explore the global flows of