Newsprint Recycled Content Continues to Beat Voluntary Targets

Submitted by: The Two Sides Team April 1, 2016

The recycled content of newsprint used to publish local and national newspapers stands at 71 per cent, an independent report shows.

Average recycled content of newspapers in 2015 was 71 per cent – ahead of the voluntary target agreed between newspaper publishers and the Government, according to a report compiled by independent auditors for the Newspaper Industry Materials Committee.  

Newspaper industry body NIMC provides a forum for the discussion of matters of mutual interest with regard to production materials used in newspaper publishing.  On a biannual basis, publishers commission an audit to establish whether recycling targets are being achieved.  

The auditors comment that the results have been affected “fairly dramatically” by a singular event, namely the closure of Aylesford Newsprint in the early months of 2015 and the resulting loss of some major domestic recycled newsprint capacity. 

However, recycled content continues to exceed the target agreed between newspaper publishers and the Government more than 15 years ago.  The voluntary agreement reached in April 2000 aimed for 70 per cent recycled content in newsprint by the end of 2006 – a target which the industry achieved ahead of schedule.

The UK newspaper industry is committed to carrying the recycling logo and content percentage figure in a prominent position in its publications. News Media Association member publishers are asked to ensure that the recycling logo Newspapers Support Recycling appears in every issue, accompanied by the message: ‘The recycled paper content of UK newspapers in 2015 was 71%’. 

Share this story