A survey of major UK organisations found two thirds with either targets or plans to increase the amount of recycled paper products they buy.
The biggest factor in the drive to use more recycled paper products was recognition that recycled paper is now equal in performance and reliability to virgin stock, the survey suggested. The quality or appearance of today's recycled papers was also a factor encouraging firms to switch.
Recent industry paper price increases on virgin products encouraged nearly one in five of the 256 surveyed organisations to use more recycled paper.
“Clear benefits”
Jonathan Tame, who heads up WRAP's recycled paper advocacy team, commented: “Many organisations have been keeping a watching brief on developments in the recycled paper sector for some time and have increasingly been recognising the clear benefits. This has led to increased market demand, a trend that I predict will only continue.
“Today's recycled papers are equal in quality and on-press performance to virgin stocks and, where competitively priced, there is no reason not to seriously consider it in the procurement decision making process. As well as the business benefits, there is also the environmental impact and reducing landfill,” Mr Tame said.
WRAP is the government-funded recycling market development organisation, based in Banbury.
Its eight-strong recycled paper advocacy team was set up in February 2005 to provide organisations with advice on the benefits of switching to recycled papers.
Survey
According to the survey, which was carried out in June 2007, amongst those responsible for print and paper procurement for major organisations across the UK 67% have targets or plans to increase the proportion of paper products using recycled content in the future.
Of these, half (51%) plan to increase their use by up to 20% in the next 12 months. Others plan to be more bullish, with a quarter planning to increase their procurement by between 20%-50% and the other quarter (24%) by as much as 50%-100% over the next 12 months.
In the longer term, over a third (35%) plan to increase their use of recycled stock by 50%-100% in the next two to five years. Similarly, a further 35% plan to increase their use of recycled paper by 20%-50% during that period.
In addition to their own plans and targets, print and paper buyers are optimistic about general take-up of recycled paper, with over half (52%) expecting the overall industry to increase its use by between 20%-50%.
One in 10 predicted that take-up would increase by as much as 50%-75% and a third (36%) forecast an increase of up to 20%.
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