Contrary to what some people may think, paper recycling is not a new idea. In fact, the process of making paper out of recovered materials is quite old. Prior to the 1880s, paper was made from a wide variety of recovered materials, including rags and linen.

Today, many different grades of paper can be recycled into different products. Used newspapers are usually made into new newsprint, egg cartons, or paperboard. Used corrugated boxes are recycled into new boxes or paperboard. High-grade white office paper can be recycled into almost any new paper product, including tissue.