WRAP is keen to develop new markets for recovered paper as current users such as newsprint and tissue are finite markets.

The project aims to find what the barriers are to using recycled stocks and to give publishers information and confidence to increase the use of recycled stocks.

It will run in two phases: the first, which is being conducted by Pira, should be complete in the next few weeks. It will look at the papers available, their performance and the opportunities to use recycled papers.

A steering group has been set up, with representatives from the Confederation of Paper Industries, the Periodical Publishers Association, and printers and paper mills.
The second phase will involve running pilot and commercial scale tests.

WRAP estimates that fewer than 2-3% of magazines use recycled paper. The UK consumer market is made up of more than 1.3bn magazines per year, excluding newspaper supplements.

Story by Andy Scott