Your recycling and what happens to it

Paper

Recycling benefit

72,441t
Amount recycled
39,625t
CO2 avoided
£8,185,856
Disposal saving

Paper and cardboard are some of the most valuable recyclable materials in the Northern Ireland.

Around eight million tonnes of paper and cardboard is recovered in the UK every year – half of which is sent to UK paper mills for recycling, while the other half is exported.

Despite its recyclability, the average UK family still throws away six trees worth of paper and card in their rubbish bin every year, when each tonne of recycled paper and cardboard saves the equivalent of 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, 3m³ of landfill space, 4,000 kwh of energy and 7,000 gallons of water.

Waste paper is recycled through a shredding and pulping process to turn it back into different grades of paper. Issues with paper recycling largely concern removing contaminants and the wrong kind of paper from the waste stream: paper which includes non-paper additives, such as wrapping paper or gummed paper, is often too poor a quality to be recycled.

Cardboard undergoes a similar recycling process to paper, but must remain separate from the paper stream to avoid brown marks on the new paper.

You can learn more about how to recycle paper and cardboard on the Recycle Now website.

Where does paper recycling go?

Top countries (selected materials) - 2023/24

Top UK recycling destinations

Country Tonnes
Northern Ireland 9,714t
Wales 3,371t
England 1,476t
Scotland 6t
Company Country Tonnes
Huhtamaki (Lurgan) Ltd Northern Ireland 8,168t
UPM Kymmene (UK) Ltd Wales 3,349t
Huhtamaki (Lisburn) Ltd Northern Ireland 1,528t
SAICA Paper UK Ltd England 393t
Smurfit Kappa UK Ltd England 320t
Environcom England Ltd England 242t
Isola England 193t
Sonoco Cores And Paper Ltd England 106t
Charity/Exempt England 96t
Northwood Tissue (Disley) Limited England 85t
British Heart Foundation England 29t
Parry and Evans Wales 22t