Recycling of wood and paper products in the United States

This report describes the current status of wood and paper recycling in the United States and predicts the production and market consequences of increased recycling. The results suggest that the rate of paper recycling will rapidly rise in the 1990s, mainly as a result of the competitive evolution of fiber markets and papermaking technologies. The consumption and export of paper and paperboard are also projected to grow, but imports are projected to generally decline. In the context of increased paper recycling, the production of lumber and structural wood panels is projected to increase. However, the greater demand for sawtimber, coupled with projected declines in timber harvest on National Forests, will result in higher softwood sawtimber stumpage prices. The information presented here was prepared for the United Nations Economic Commission in June 1994. Historical data were derived from various sources, including government agencies and industry trade associations. Economic projections were developed by the author and others in the USDA Forest Service.