Paper recycling must be powered by renewables to save climate

The study as current methods rely on fossil fuels and electricity from the grid. The researchers modelled various scenarios for increasing recycling of wastepaper by 2050 and the impact this would have on greenhouse gas emissions. They found that if all wastepaper was recycled, emissions could increase by 10%, as recycling paper tends to rely more on fossil fuels than making new paper. However, the researchers found that emissions would radically reduce if paper production and disposal were carried out using renewable energy sources rather than fossil fuels. Making new paper from trees requires more energy than paper recycling, but energy for this process is generated from black liquor -  the low-carbon by-product of the wood pulping process. In contrast, paper recycling relies on fuels and electricity from the grid. Researchers found that modernising landfill practices, for instance by capturing methane emissions and using them for energy, also had a positive effect, although not as profound as moving to renewables.