AGRAPA: Germany Once Again Significantly Exceeds Recycling Target for Graphic Papers

As the organization announced at this year’s meeting of the Waste Paper Council, the recycling rate for the current reporting year reached 85.9%, once again clearly exceeding the target of 80%.

Another focus of this year’s meeting was the ongoing transition to mineral oil-free printing inks in newspaper printing. The goal is to reduce the introduction of mineral oil components into the waste paper cycle and thereby ensure the long-term quality of paper recycling. By the next reporting year, the introduction of mineral oil from newspaper printing inks is to be reduced by 50% compared to 2020.

According to AGRAPA, current data show progress; however, further efforts are needed to fully achieve the target. The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection (BMUKN) and the Federal Environment Agency acknowledged the progress made so far and cited AGRAPA as an example of a successful industry-led voluntary commitment, the statement said.

Regarding the recycling rate for graphic papers, Julia Rohmann, project manager at the BVDM, commented: “The recycling rate achieved underscores the high level of performance of the German printing and paper industry in the area of the circular economy. This result is important evidence that voluntary industry initiatives can effectively contribute to achieving environmental and sustainability goals.”

During the meeting of the Waste Paper Council, Volker Hotop, managing director of Zeitungsdruck Dierichs GmbH & Co. KG, was re-elected as chairman of AGRAPA.

AGRAPA brings together nine associations across the graphic paper value chain, including paper manufacturers, publishers, printing companies, and paper wholesalers. The organization views the result as evidence of the effectiveness of the established recycling loop for graphic papers in Germany.