The value of waste paper for recycling has dropped sharply, but there are things you can do to help.
Decades ago, scrap paper was so valuable, Boy Scouts and other organizations collected newspaper as a fundraiser. Now, paper has so little value, many recyclers charge to accept it.
Causes for this decline in value include domestic matters such as reduced demand for newspaper and supply increases due to expansion of curbside collection systems.
However, the biggest change came in January 2018 after China passed rules restricting American scrap. Chinese manufacturers still needed fibers to make products and packaging, but, according to the December 2020 edition of trade publication Resource Recycling, Chinese central planners and businesses redirected their country’s industries to purchasing raw materials for manufacturing from their country’s own enhanced recycling collections. Their economy benefited by recirculating funds and their environment benefitted by reducing waste.
Other countries, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, have expanded purchases of American scrap formerly routed to China. But even what these economies can handle is small compared to the amount China previously imported from the United States. Growth in the value of recycled paper is not likely to resume soon.
Even office-based businesses are no longer able to get paid for diligently separating their paper and having it picked up by recyclers. Instead, like all businesses, offices must place paper in bins with other mixed recyclables and pay for collection and separation.
The good news about the crash in value for paper waste is its enhanced attractiveness as a raw material for manufacturers in the U.S. and abroad.
Recycling in Santa Barbara
Luckily for Santa Barbara residents, paper and cardboard of all types (as long as it’s clean) goes in the regular blue bin. If you have bulk paper that’s too much and you want to get rid of it immediately, the nearest free, unrestricted drop-off site for segregated cardboard, office paper, or newspaper is at a Marborg Industries recycling center, 132 Nopalitos Way, or 20 David Love Place, Goleta, Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4 pm.
The county of Santa Barbara has a great paper recycling resource page, and the “Less Is More” guide to waste reduction is a surprisingly comprehensive resource. Did you know ATM and other waxy-like receipts should be put in the trash?
Cardboard has suffered a similar reduction in value. The New Indy Containerboard paper mill in Oxnard recycles old cardboard into new corrugated paper, and this provides some recycling value for cardboard. However, the mill does not accept drop-offs from the public, requiring baled material that meets strict standards. The value provided by cardboard translates only into free, not paid, opportunities for residents recycling this asset. Again, it goes into the green bin, or can be dropped off in bulk at the Marborg sites.
Local niche recycler Camarillo Recycling illustrates the trend of paper waste losing value: Ten years ago, they collected from accounts as far away as the Ojai Valley, but soon began paying only for high volumes of paper dropped off. Then, five years ago, the company began accepting dropped-off paper for free. Now, the company no longer accepts regular paper at all. Like the bigger recyclers, Camarillo Recycling accepts cardboard free, but only Tuesday through Friday. “On Saturdays and Mondays, we are too busy handling metals and California Redemption Value containers, so we don’t have time to handle cardboard,” said Oren Zarin, manager.
The good news about the crash in value for paper waste is its enhanced attractiveness as a raw material for manufacturers in the U.S. and abroad. Like all commodities, the price of paper for recycling will change in accordance with demand. As more companies begin to use it and the domestic market develops, the value will once again rise.
What Can You Do?
- Businesses can help by buying recycled office paper for copy machines and printers.
- Consumers can help by buying any and all paper and cardboard items printed on recycled paper.
An original version of this article appeared in the VC Star.
