Paper Recovery & Landfill

The amount of paper going to landfills is estimated to have declined by more than half since 2003. The decline was partly attributable to a rise in the paper recovery rate from 55 percent in 2003 to over 67 percent in 2016. In addition to recycling, some paper is diverted from landfills because it is disposed of in other ways such as via incineration with energy recovery or, in the case of bathroom tissue, via the sewer system.