Is it better for the environment to use only recycled paper?

Using recycled fibres in the paper industry is positive for the environment – but the reality is that paper can't be recycled forever. Each time the fibres are recycled, some break down and become too short and weak. So without new fibres coming into the circuit, the paper cycle can't be maintained.

Wood fibres – a wonderful renewable, recyclable natural resource

Paper is one of the world’s most recycled and recyclable materials. It is produced from a marvellous renewable resource: tiny wood fibres from trees that are sustainably managed using a circular approach.

In fact, about 50% of all fibres used for paper-making worldwide are recycled fibres. This is a very positive aspect of the paper industry and there are few, if any, other global industries that have a better record of using recycled raw materials.

Recycling paper fibres is positive for the environment – but the scientific reality is that paper can't be recycled forever because the cellulose fibres eventually break down into dust, or fines, as they are called. Papermakers’ experience over many decades shows that for most grades of paper, the fibres can be recycled about 3-4 times. After that the fibres are too short to make quality paper. In Europe, the fibres were used 3.8 times on average in 2020, whereas the world average was 2.4 times, according to the European Paper Recycling Council, EPRC Report.

The weaker parts are filtered out

Why the world can’t use only recycled paper

Fresh fibres are always needed in the circular process, both to replace the weak fibres that are discarded and because certain qualities of paper need strong fresh fibres to function optimally for the end use.

In the recycling process, the shorter, weaker and non-useful parts of the incoming paper which can’t be recycled – fines, clays, inks, staples, plastics – are filtered out in a screening process and rejected as sludge to be landfilled. In the average recycled plant, up to 30% of incoming material is unsuitable for paper making and will be lost as sludge instead of becoming new paper. Therefore, without new fibres coming into the circuit, the paper cycle can’t be maintained.

Fresh fibres are always needed in the circular process

So, we now know that fibres degrade each time they are recycled, meaning there are physical limits preventing recycled fibres from being used to a greater extent than they are today. Fresh fibres are always needed in the circular process.

There are also some quality and functionality reasons speaking for using fresh fibre paper. Fresh-fibre paper is naturally bright and therefore needs less bleach in the production process compared to a recycled paper, which starts off in a more greyish tone from its combination of raw materials, clays and ink. The average fresh fibre is longer and less worn out than the general recycled fibre. It comes with a more elastic or stiffer quality, depending on the production process and treatment. This affects the need for extra additives and treatment steps, which come with a cost, financial or environmental.

Fresh-fibre paper has quality advantages

Fresh-fibre paper produced with Holmen Paper's pulping process has a naturally high opacity and brightness. This paper can be made more porous than recycled-based papers, which means it can hold more air. The paper can be used in a lower grammage than traditional papers, but keep the same page thickness and the same opacity values. This is good for readability, because you can use a lightweight paper without printed images and text showing through to the next page.

Lightweight paper is good, because you actually use less paper. And it means less weight in distribution and reduced CO₂ emissions both from the raw material and from all transports further down the value chain. Transport electricity or fuel emissions increase by more transported weight, so saving grams is also a way of saving money and carbon emissions.

Thinner than a human hair

Papermaking fibres are tiny cellulose filaments with a thickness of only 40 micrometres (µm), much thinner than a human hair. They are also very short in length, 1 to 3 mm, which is about the diameter of a pin head. Each time paper is recycled, the sheet must be torn up and dissolved into the tiny individual fibres, using mechanical energy, water and chemicals in a giant blender to “repulp” it. This often breaks the fibres, making them too short to use. It also causes them to lose their stiffness, and fibres that are softer and more flexible is not great for paper production.

The image shows termo-mechanical processed pulp through a microscope. A close-up of the long cellulose filament called a papermaking fibre. After being processed and reused several times, the fibre becomes too worn out to function.

Recycled paper production has higher carbon emissions

Even if it seems logical that recycled fibres must be better than fresh fibre in environmental terms, it's really not that simple. All pulp production methods have their advantages and disadvantages. So although paper recycling is a wonderful use of natural resources, it is not correct to say that it is always better. It depends on the production process, location, products being made and input materials that are being used.

In fact, an independent, peer-reviewed study by Environmental Resources Management concluded already in 2007 that when it comes to recycled fibres and fresh fibre: “Overall the results indicate that neither fibre type can be considered environmentally preferable. /.../ Intelligent and sustainable use of available fibre sources requires understanding the challenges associated with each fibre type and effectively managing the life cycle to minimise impacts and maximise benefits.”

A life cycle assessment study made by the Swedish Environmental Research Institute, IVL, in 2017 indicates that fresh fibre-based paper actually has a lower environmental impact than its recycled counterparts. The study concluded that fresh fibre-based paper, produced in Sweden, had significantly lower emissions compared with recycled fibre papers produced in Germany.

Similar findings were made in a recent third-party study of book paper by the publisher Penguin Random House, 2020. The publisher wanted to know the carbon footprint of paper from their main suppliers, and they also included manufacturers of recycled paper. Holmen’s fresh-fibre book paper from Hallsta paper mill in Sweden had the lowest CO₂ footprint in the study.

So, make sure the materials you use are recyclable and choose reliable suppliers with low emissions. This way you will support a continuously improving recycling system for the future.

Containerboard papers

When comparing the average CO₂e emission benchmarks from recycled-based and fresh-fibre-based containerboard mills in Europe, the emissions per tonne of paper produced are almost twice as high from recycled-based production. The emissions from Holmen's paper mills are approximately 1/3 of the fresh-fibre based average – and less than 1/5 of the recycled-based average.

Printing and writing papers

For printing and writing papers, Holmen's fresh-fibre paper mills emit almost 900 kg less CO₂e than the average European mill per tonne of paper produced, according to the FisherSolve^® GHG emission benchmark. Fresh-fibre mills have a lower average emission benchmark, 1.013 tonnes CO₂e, than the recycled-based mills, 1.030 tonnes CO₂e.

The bottom line: Both recycling and fresh fibres are needed

So, the answer to the headline question is that it's just not possible to use only recycled paper. It's great for the environment that it is possible to recycle paper. But the average recycled paper mill emits more carbon dioxide per tonne of produced paper compared to the average fresh-fibre paper mill. So as things are now, it would not be better for the environment if it were possible to use only recycled paper.

Paper production and usage is a system of circularity – and it can be even better. Both the fresh-fibre and the recycled paper mills need to be on a mission to keep reducing emissions.

When sourcing paper, buyers should demand transparency about environmental impact from the producer and use only products where it’s possible to fully trace the origins and the environmental impact. In every step, a no-waste approach can guide both producers and consumers to better solutions that are also better for the Earth.

This article is based on the text "Is it better for the environment to use only recycled paper", written by Hugh O'Brian, pulp and paper industry technical writer, and edited by Linda Åslund.

Sources and further reading

1. European Paper Recycling Council (EPRC) Report 2020. Report available for download.

2. Life Cycle Assessment of Tissue Products Final Report December 2007, Kimberly-Clark. Report available for download.

3. A life-cycle assessment of specialty paper, Swedish Environmental Research Institute, IVL. Whitepaper available for download.

4. How we ensure the paper in our books is sustainably sourced. Penguin Random House UK study, performed by independent consultancy Ethical Change. Text available on Penguin Random House website.

CO₂e emission benchmarks per tonne of paper in European paper mills is available for subscription at FisherSolve Pulp and Paper Business Intelligence - ResourceWise

Text about the climate impact study on Holmen Paper website.

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