The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) found that more than two-thirds of print and paper buyers in major UK organisations plan to increase the proportion of recycled paper products they purchase.

A quarter of these buyers aim to increase their use of paper with recycled content by 50-100% in the next 12 months.

Another quarter hope to achieve a 20-50% increase over the same period, while half hope to use up to 20% more recycled paper in the next year.

Just over a third expect to boost purchases of recycled paper by 50-100% in the next two to five years.

More than half of those surveyed expect the industry as a whole to increase its use of recycled paper by 20-50%.

The research also found that nearly one in five organisations have switched to using more recycled paper following increases in the price of virgin products.

Jonathan Tame, head of WRAP’s recycled paper advocacy team, said: “Many organisations have been keeping a watching brief on developments in the recycled paper sector for some time and have increasingly been recognising the clear benefits.

“This has led to increased market demand, a trend that I predict will only continue.

“Today’s recycled papers are equal in quality and on-press performance to virgin stocks and, where competitively priced, there is no reason not to seriously consider it in the procurement decision making process.

“As well as the business benefits, there is also the environmental impact and reducing landfill.”

Kate Martin

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