Newspapers 1150

Newspapers are printed on newsprint, an uncoated groundwood paper made by mechanically grinding wood pulp without first removing lignin and other wood pulp components. Newspapers are the largest component by weight and volume of a curbside recycling program.

“Groundwood inserts,” the preprinted advertising inserts placed inside newspapers, supply 19 percent of the overall newspaper tonnage.

In 2005, approximately 53.3 million newspapers were sold every weekday by the 1452 daily U.S. newspapers, averaging 2.3 readers per copy. On Sunday, 914 newspapers sold 55.3 million papers, averaging 2.6 readers per copy. Additionally, 6659 weekly newspapers sold 49.5 million copies a week. Newspaper readership and advertising have slowly declined since 1990.

With $49 billion in advertising, newspapers captured 18 percent of the advertising market in 2005.

In 2005, newspaper generation was 4.9 million tons higher since 1960, but newspaper's solid waste market share had decreased by 40 percent. Newspaper recycling increased by 8.9 million tons and the recycling rate increased by 247 percent during this same period.

Newspaper Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Facts:

Generated:

Recycled:

Recycled Content:

Composted:

Incinerated or Landfilled:

Landfill Volume:

Density:

Source Reduction:

Recycling Markets:

End-Market Specifications:

Sources:

American Forest and Paper Association, Washington, www.afandpa.org

“Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 2005 Facts and Figures,” Office of Solid Waste, Washington, www.epa.gov/osw

“Measurement Standards and Reporting Guidelines,” National Recycling Coalition, Washington, www.nrc-recycle.org

Newspaper Association of America, Falls Church, Va., www.naa.org

“Scrap Specifications Circular 2006,” Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Washington, D.C., www.isri.org

*2005 EPA estimates.