In 2023, 46 million tons of paper were recycled in the United States, according to the American Forest & Paper Association. In that same year, the paper recycling rate (calculated based on the amount of paper recycled compared to the amount of paper available for recovery) was at 65% to 69%, while cardboard was recycled at a 71% to 76% rate. And, thanks to its own sustainability efforts, the paper industry recycles nearly 60% more paper than it did in 1990. Paper and cardboard are now among the most highly recycled materials in the United States.

Those numbers aside, in an age when everything from dinner to desks can be delivered to your door, the use of paper wrappers, packaging and cardboard continues to increase. And though 79% of Americans have access to community residential-curbside recycling programs, some Southwest Florida businesses go the extra mile to focus on sustainability and reduce their environmental footprints.

“We are an independent manufacturer of custom-printed deli paper and sandwich wraps in small quantities for customers all over the United States. Paper is basically a renewable resource and, as we’ve seen more bans … of anything that has plastic in the product, you’re starting to see a move back to paper again,” says Ryan Van Horn, CEO of Custom Packaging & Products in Fort Myers. “A lot of people want paper that’s recyclable. Companies that print deli paper in the United States have a higher standard because you’re dealing with direct food contact. So those necessities need to be taken into consideration when you’re producing the product.”

For Custom Packaging & Products, those production standards include using only sandwich wrap grades approved by the Food and Drug Administration and water-based printing inks that are direct food use-approved. Most importantly, Van Horn said his industry has stopped the use of PFAS chemicals, which are known as “forever chemicals” since they break down slowly and can build up in the environment and in living things.

“Companies started using PFAS because they were a chemical substance that was really resistant to heat, grease, oil and water,” he says. “A lot of manufacturers quitting the use of PFAS has been huge for end-users to know that they’re getting product that does not have that in it. And I think every single paper mill in the U.S. is now using PFAS-free product for any type of papermaking.”

To transport and deliver items larger than sandwiches, more and sturdier packaging is often required. And when every item you’re packing and shipping is different, it can take more effort to be sustainable.

“We specialize in large, high-value and fragile goods, and we do the pickup, the packaging and the delivery. We do domestic and international shipping, and we do custom crating for industries. We ship a lot of art and antiques … and we’ve moved entire factories,” says Gary McKinley, president of Craters & Freighters in Cape Coral. “We build a custom crate for everything. We use veneer plywood or we use corrugated, 350-pound double-wall cardboard. We don’t throw away everything when it’s cut. It goes to a recycle bin and the team goes to that recycle area when they’re building crates to see if there’s a size that will fit.”

For Craters & Freighters, the use of sustainably sourced, reusable and recyclable packaging — and dedication to minimizing its ecological impact — serves to support a healthier planet and help its customers achieve their own sustainability goals. To do that, the company works to divert waste from landfills, advises and assists customers with recycling options and promotes conservation and reforestation. And McKinley said his business is also striving to be prepared for new challenges in the future.

“A big part of our sustainability is the ability we have to do a varied palette of tasks for our clientele. We’re always looking to change with the times,” he says. “Corporately, we count the crates that we sell, and for every crate we sell, we plant a tree.”

Though the recycling and renewal efforts of these Southwest Florida businesses may look like a small element of everyday business, they’re both part of the paper and packaging industry’s larger work toward sustainability. That’s something Van Horn notes in every email he sends.

“Part of my email tagline is, ‘The paper industry plants more than it harvests, and today there are 25% more trees in the developed world than in 1990. Paper is biodegradable, renewable and sustainable and, when recycled, it will come back to you as paper or board.’ That’s part of the tagline in every email I send out.”