Paper was first manufactured in the U.S. in 1690 at the Rittenhouse Mill near Philadelphia. Rags were the main source of papermaking fiber for centuries

Is recycling something new?

Although Americans have become more aware of the benefits of recycling over the past decade, recycling is not new.

In fact, nearly all paper manufactured in Europe and the U.S. through the mid-1800s could be considered recycled paper. Old rags and worn-out clothing were the primary source of fiber supplying the paper mills, because the process for making paper from wood had not yet been developed!

Today, recovered paper comes from many sources. Old newspapers and corrugated containers, because they are valuable and easy to recycle, have been collected and recycled for years. In mills, trimmings from the paper machines are continually reused in the papermaking process.

The paper recycling industry has seen dramatic changes over the past decade. Previously, recycled fiber was mostly used to produce products of lower quality. Today, because of new technology, recycled fiber can sometimes be used nearly interchangeably with new fiber to make even the highest quality grades of paper.