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New study published on the recovery potential of waste in the global paper life cycle

27 March 2018

Stijn van Ewijk, ISR PhD student, is lead author on a new study published in Resources, Conservation and Recycling.

paper recycling

Stijn van Ewijk’s research, published in Resources, Conservation and Recycling, investigates waste from the global paper life cycle and how this could be recovered. The study was co-authored with researchers from the University of the Andes and Yale University.

The research, 'Quantifying the system-wide recovery potential of waste in the global paper life cycle', assesses the recovery potential of major waste flows in the global paper life cycle to support improvements in material use.

Highlights from the research include:

  • The first ever calculation of the potential for recovery of waste in a global circular economy for the paper life cycle.

  • Under ideal conditions, waste to landfill can be reduced to almost zero whilst the fraction of waste paper in fibre inputs can be almost doubled.

  • The practical potential for waste recovery depends on a range of environmental, technological, economic and social conditions.

To find out more about this publication please click here.