The life cycle analysis concludes that, for paper and cardboard, recycling is clearly more favourable than landfilling in almost all scenarios and environmental impact categories considered. The results from the study reflect that the environmental benefit of recycling is especially clear in the categories of energy use, energy related impacts, waste generation, wastewater and importantly the reduction of carbon emissions.

The report identified an average of 50% less energy consumption when recycling instead of incinerating paper and cardboard over the entire life cycle. In other words, on average virgin production followed by incineration with energy recovery consumed twice as much energy as recycling

As one of the most commonly raised impact categories, and of increasing importance, the report identified a clear saving for recycled paper versus virgin paper. On average, when comparing the manufacture of 100% recycled content paper to virgin paper, 1 tonne of recycled paper can save 1.32 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. This considers the complete life cycle and takes into account that the recovered fibre may be landfilled or incinerated. If landfilled, degrading paper could produce methane, a greenhouse gas which is 23 times more powerful than CO2.

The landfill issue is global and while in an ideal world reprocessing and papermaking would take place locally, due to market forces this is not the case and transporting waste paper, reprocessed pulp and paper still represents positive environmental action.

While the report concludes that using recycled paper does not save trees - trees being produced as a crop - using recycled fibre does, of course, reduce the need for virgin fibre which reduces the pressure for increased afforestation. Additionally, only a small percentage of these 'crops' are certified as truly-sustainably-managed.