Where does paper go when you recycle it? Well, if you’re in the UK, the answer is India and this, as it turns out, is a really good thing. After China added more restrictions to what they would take, India stepped up and began accepting UK paper recyclables and it is proving to be a boon for their own paper needs.
Turns out people in India really like to read physical books and papers. Even though they have all the access to digital means, they just really dig paper. Their own country lacks the resources to really maintain that love so enter the waste paper industry.
The recyclable the paper is shipped from across continent to an Indian factory where it is processed. It is turned into new paper and goes back into the system. And India needs A LOT of paper to meet its demands. To the tune of 14 million tons. Turns out that one man’s used paper is the next man’s morning paper.