Global Climate Change The Issue Global climate change may have significant environmental and economic consequences for the U.S. and other nations. Our Position Recycling paper reduces emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Our Approach Recycling paper reduces the emissions of greenhouse gases and thus reduces the impact of global climate change. Of the paper that is not recycled, 80% ends up in landfills. Decomposition of the paper in landfills produces methane, a greenhouse gas with 21 times the heat-trapping power of carbon dioxide (CO2). EPA has identified landfills as the single largest source of methane emissions in the U.S., and the decomposition of paper is the largest contributor to the methane being generated. If paper is recycled, it doesn’t end up in the waste stream, headed for a landfill where it will degrade and generate methane. The less paper landfilled, the less methane emitted. Additionally, paper produced with recovered fiber requires less energy and fewer, if any, trees. Trees left standing store carbon from the air, which is one way to address industrial CO2 emissions. The increased use of recovered paper for recycled products reduces the need to harvest trees and retains the carbon stored in the uncut trees – a process called carbon sequestration. For More Information