The Power of a Technology Portfolio: Paper & Cardboard Packaging
In our current US curbside recycling system, paper and cardboard are frequently contaminated, resulting in more than 17.2 million tons, or 25%, of MSW paper and paperboard being landfilled. REMADE is working to remove contaminants and increase recycling rates.
According to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), a REMADE member, manufacturing paper and paperboard with recycled materials uses up to 68% less energy than using virgin materials.
REMADE has multiple R&D projects working to address paper and cardboard recycling challenges, including those focused on systems analysis, manufacturing and contamination removal, collection, and separation and recycling.
Our current portfolio of paper and carboard projects – conducted in partnership with MIT, the American Forest & Paper Association, and more - is capable of saving up to 150 petajoules in embodied energy annually, up to 8 million metric tons in material savings per year, and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 8 million metric tons per year.
For more information, read our 2020 Impact Report here.