A Papered-Over Problem

Umbra Fisk looks into the limits of recycling:

Paper can indeed be recycled only a finite number of times before its fibers get too short and frayed to be recovered. And according to the EPA, that magic number is about five to seven trips through the paper mill. That means we must always turn to some amount of brand-new pulp – called virgin pulp in the biz – to fulfill our needs. According to estimates from a nonprofit and a paper industry group, if we tried to make all paper from 100-percent recycled content starting now, we’d run out of materials in just a few months.

(Video: Inside a paper recycling plant)