In general, recycling reduces the amount of municipal solid waste but increases the amount of solid waste from manufacturing. Overall, however, recycling tends to reduce life cycle solid waste loads. The solid waste-related benefits of recycling are grade-dependent.
Assessments of the impacts of recycling on solid waste should address impacts on a) municipal solid waste generation, b) wastes from manufacturing, and c) the options for managing solid wastes.
A major U.S. study of all solid waste generated through the life cycle suggests that recycling results in lower solid waste across all range of grades of paper and paperboard. (See link to the left.)
If one is focused only on solid waste from manufacturing, recycling can result in equal or larger amounts of solid waste compared to virgin mills making the same products.
How should I use this information?
Follow these links for more information:
Municipal solid waste
Wastes from manufacturing
Managing solid wastes
Life cycle results for one major U.S. study
