Impact of Newsprint Recycling Policies on Canadian Waste Production and Forests

An increasing number of American states have enacted legislation which requires that newsprint contain specified amounts of recycled fibre. By the year 2001, such policies are estimated to save, at most, 3.5 percent of expected Canadian landfill requirements and, for the period 1990-2001, 0.19 percent of the stock of tress on productive forest lands in Canada. If Canada were to adopt similar newsprint recycling legislation, we show, contrary to what may be expected, that there would either be no impact or increases in the amount of solid waste to be disposed of in Canada. Volumes of trees saved, for the period 1990-2001, would increase to a maximum of 0.25 percent of the stock of trees. Instead of enacting newsprint recycling legislation, an alternative approach is to address the landfill and forestry issues separately with appropriate policies and economic instruments.