Victorian Recycling Industries Annual Survey 2013-14

Paper / Cardboard waste recovery in Victoria 2013-14

The Victorian Recycling Industries Annual Survey 2013-14 was conducted between September 2014 and January 2015 and sought data from sixty eight (68) Victorian reprocessors, excluding fifty four (54) plastic reprocessors surveyed as part of the 2013-14 National Plastics Recycling Survey. A total of sixty two (62) reprocessors responded, estimated between them to account for more than 95% by weight of all material recovered in Victoria.

For more information or to download a copy of the Victorian Recycling Industries Annual Survey 2013-14 report, please refer to the Sustainability Victoria website www.sustainability.vic.gov.au

The information presented is an extract of the Paper / Cardboard waste recovery figures from the report.

Recovery and trends

The amount of paper and cardboard recovered in 2013-14 was maintained to the same level as that of 2012-13 at 1.39 million tonnes after already falling by 16% from 2011-12.

Even though exports across most Paper / Cardboard categories were down in 2013-14, Other mixed paper exports increased by 9%, pushing the recovered amount of this category up by 15% from 2012-13. Printing & writing paper exports decreased by 24%, contributing to the total recovered decrease of this category by 52%.

Composition of paper / cardboard waste (by weight) recovered for reprocessing, Victoria 2013-14

The chart below illustrates the overall trend in the domestic and export markets for recyclable paper.

Paper / cardboard waste recovered for reprocessing, Victoria 2004-05 to 2013-14

Sources of recyclables

Paper and cardboard reprocessed in Victoria comes from several different sources, with retailers and industrial facilities traditionally supplying much of the cardboard and paper packaging, while commercial collections from offices and schools account for most printing and writing paper.

In 2013-14, the Commercial & Industrial sector contributed 79% of the State’s recovered paper and cardboard, up from 54% the previous year (Figure 24). The large increase in the proportion of material sourced from the Commercial & Industrial sector was contrasted against the corresponding decrease from the Municipal sector. The proportion of recovered paper and cardboard sourced from overseas and interstate increased slightly, from 2% to 3% in 2013-14.

Source sectors of paper and cardboard received for reprocessing (by weight), Victoria 2013-14

Paper and cardboard waste material recovered in Victoria for reprocessing over the past 10 years, Victoria 2004-05 to 2013-14

Cardboard / paper packaging / Newsprint / magazines / Printing & writing paper / Telephone books / Other (mixed paper) / Total paper / cardboard waste recovered
Tonnes (‘000)
2004–05 / 376 / 200 / 262 / 9 / 90 / 937
2005–06 / 461 / 232 / 238 / 10 / 146 / 1,087
2006–07 / 389 / 122 / 73 / 2 / 236 / 822
2007–08 / 422 / 132 / 124 / 1 / 275 / 954
2008–09 / 468 / 160 / 93 / <1 / 410 / 1,132
2009-10 / 196 / 114 / 44 / - / 644 / 999
2010-11 / 211 / 137 / 58 / - / 805 / 1,212
2011-12 / 278 / 123 / 107 / - / 1,157 / 1,665
2012-13 / 635 / 185 / 89 / - / 485 / 1,394
2013-14 / 621 / 171 / 43 / - / 558 / 1,394