This indicator measures the extent to which recycling or reuse of forest products occurs. As global demand for forest products increase, there is a growing need to meet societal demands for recycling of forest products.
- The proportions of recycled wood-based forest products such as paper, paperboard and cardboard in Australia have been relatively stable since 2010–11.
- Paper is the most-recycled forest product by weight in Australia. In 2022–23, the weight of recycled paper used for domestic paper and paperboard1 production was 1.7 million tonnes, with 60% of paper and paperboard production derived from recycled paper.
- Australia recycled 50% of the 4.9 million tonnes of paper and cardboard2 waste generated in 2022–23. Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland together recycled 81% of the total.
- South Australia recycled the highest proportion of paper and cardboard waste at 63% (by weight), with most states and territories achieving high recycling rates.
- Australia recycled 30% of the 2.1 million tonnes of timber waste generated in 2022–23. Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales together recycled 83% of the total, with Queensland recycling the highest proportion.
1 ‘Paper and paperboard’ is a production component of ‘Class 1510 Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing’ of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification used by the Australia Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences.
2 ‘Paper and cardboard’ is a waste category reported in the National waste and resource recovery report 2024 prepared for the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Paper is the most-recycled forest product by weight in Australia. The use of recovered paper and paperboard in domestic paper production increased to 60.0% in 2022–23, its highest level in the last 20 years, though only slightly higher than previous years due to steady levels of this input and the declining production of paper and paperboard over the last five years (ABARES 2025) (Figure 6.1e-1). ‘Paper and paperboard’ in the ABARES reporting includes the categories newsprint; coated and uncoated printing and writing paper; household and sanitary paper; and wrapping and packaging paper and board.
Click here for a Microsoft Excel workbook of the data for Figure 6.1e-1.
Decreasing volumes of paper and cardboard waste have been generated over time in Australia, but the weight of paper waste recycled has decreased more sharply (Blue Environment 2025) (Figure 6.1e-2). Half of Australia’s paper and cardboard waste was recycled in 2022–23, a decrease from the 60% recycled in 2016–17. ‘Paper and cardboard’ in the Blue Environment reporting includes liquid paperboard, newsprint and magazines, and office paper, but excludes waste from forestry production activities.
Click here for a Microsoft Excel workbook of the data for Figure 6.1e-2.
Most states and territories achieve high recycling rates, though the weight of paper and cardboard waste recycled differs between states and territories (Table 6.1e-1). These differences are likely driven by population and therefore consumption levels, by socio-economic factors, by varying waste policies adopted by governments including local governments, and by access to recycling markets. South Australia recycles the highest proportion of paper and cardboard waste at 63% (by weight), compared to the other states and territories. Reported recycling rates in the Northern Territory and Tasmania were notably low, with the potential for data issues for these jurisdictions to be affecting their results (Blue Environment 2025).
Indicator 5.1a addresses the contribution of forest ecosystems and forest industries to the global greenhouse gas balance, including the weight of carbon stored in wood products in use and landfill, and production of energy from biomass.
Click here for a Microsoft Excel workbook of the data for Table 6.1e-1.
The weight of timber waste generated was 2.1 million tonnes in 2022–23, a decrease of 10% from the 2.3 million tonnes generated in 2016–17. The proportion of generated timber waste recycled decreased by a greater amount in that time, with only 30% of timber waste recycled in 2022–23 compared to 41% recycled in 2016–17. Timber waste disposal remained relatively steady over the period of 2016–17 to 2022–23 (Figure 6.1e-3).
Click here for a Microsoft Excel workbook of the data for Figure 6.1e-3.
Recycling of timber waste varied between Australia’s states and territories (Table 6.1e-2). These differences are likely driven by population and consumption levels, socio-economic factors, varying waste policies adopted by governments including local governments, and by access to recycling markets. In 2022–23, relatively high rates of recycling occurred in Queensland (42%), South Australia (40%), Victoria (28%), and New South Wales (26%).
Click here for a Microsoft Excel workbook of the data for Table 6.1e-2.
The following examples provide insights into recent research developments in timber waste recycling.
Treated timber recycling initiatives (New South Wales Environment Protection Authority)
Over the past decade, the New South Wales Environmental Protection Authority has led projects to better dispose of and recycle treated timber. In 2014, the New South Wales Environmental Trust funded the Treated Timber Initiative project to increase public awareness about the impacts of improper disposal of treated timber and the difficulties in recycling treated timber due to its chemical content. The project was successful in increasing consumer awareness but revealed that changing public habits can be a slow process (Aegis Consulting Group 2019).
Timber Circularity Project (University of the Sunshine Coast)
The University of the Sunshine Coast launched the Timber Circularity Project as a national initiative in 2023 to reduce timber waste, focusing on treated timber and engineered wood products. This is part of a broader push to shift Australia’s timber industry to a circular economy by promoting reuse, recycling and energy recovery. The project provides a variety of solutions for potential reuse and recycling of timber, including advocating for technology to collect, sort, de-nail and process end-of-life treated timber (University of the Sunshine Coast 2025).
Environmental Impact Assessment of Wood Waste-to-Energy Recovery (Deakin University)
Deakin University undertook a Life Cycle Assessment of the environmental impacts of converting waste wood into energy, based on Australian wood and energy production datasets for 2015–16. The assessment found that waste from hardwood and softwood timber delivered the most environmental benefits while more processed wood products such as medium-density fibreboard and particleboard led to greater emissions due to high chemical and resin content. The study recommended prioritising softwood and hardwood waste for energy recovery, and promoting more careful design of engineered wood products (such as medium-density fibreboard and particleboard) to exclude chemicals and resins which otherwise lead to greater emissions in the waste-to-bioenergy process. It is also recognised that recycling of wood waste is the better alternative where possible, however, recycling of wood waste is dependent on the reusability of the structural components of that wood (Farjana et al. 2023).
Construction of Boola Katitjin (Murdoch University)
The Boola Katitjin building at Murdoch University is Western Australia’s largest mass-engineered timber building and an example of sustainable construction. During construction, 90% of the waste generated, including timber waste, was recycled or repurposed. This was achieved in partnership with a local recycling firm and careful planning, prefabrication and waste management (Murdoch University 2024).
Sustainable waste management of chromated copper arsenate treated (CCA-treated) timber (Government of South Australia and the Australian Government)
Work to find solutions to better manage Australia’s growing stockpile of CCA-treated timber commenced with $800,000 of funding in 2025 from the Government of South Australia and the Australian Government. A Treated Timber Product Stewardship Working Group will develop a new national stewardship framework for the reuse, recovery, management and safe disposal of all CCA-treated timber.
CCA-treated timber has been used in Australia for about 50 years in the horticulture and agricultural industries as round posts and in the construction industry for framing. In South Australia, CCA-treated timber has been widely used as vineyard trellis posts and fencing. These posts have a typical lifespan of 30 to 40 years, yet there is no clear end-of-life management strategy for them. As a result, about 70 million CCA-treated vineyard posts have been stockpiled across vineyards and up to 1.8 million posts added to vineyard stockpiles each year, with increases possible if the downturn in the wine sector continues. This poses environmental, business, and work health and safety risks. Used posts are generally stockpiled on site at vineyards due to the limited availability of licensed landfill locations and the prohibitive costs of transporting posts to these locations (Rawtec 2025).
Wine Australia commissioned a feasibility study in 2025 to assess potential locations in South Australian wine regions where CCA-treated posts could be collected or delivered from nearby vineyard owners. The feasibility study identified potential regional collection points for CCA-treated vineyard posts for the cost-effective removal of posts from vineyards and safe stockpiling until solutions for the recycling of end-of-life CCA-treated wood can be developed. The safe stockpiling of CCA-treated vineyard posts is hoped to provide the large feedstocks needed to improve the cost effectiveness of end-of-life solutions (Rawtec 2025).
ABARES (Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics) (2025). Australian Forest and Wood Product Statistics: Production and trade to 2023-24, ABARES series report, June. ABARES, Canberra. https://doi.org/10.25814/z39k-nj30.
Aegis Consulting Group (2019). Evaluation of the Treated Timber Initiative, Final report prepared for the NSW Environmental Trust, July.
Blue Environment (2025). National waste and resource recovery report 2024, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Canberra, January, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Farjana, SH, Tokede O. and Ashraf M (2023). Environmental impact assessment of waste wood-to-energy recovery in Australia, Energies, 16(10), p.4182, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/en16104182.
Murdoch University (2024). 90 per cent of Boola Katitjin's construction waste has been recycled, Murdoch University News, webpage accessed 30 September 2025.
Rawtec (2025). Feasibility study for a CCA vineyard post aggregation site. Final report to Wine Australia, Australian Government, and co-funded by Green Industries SA, Government of South Australia, Adelaide, April.
University of the Sunshine Coast (2025). Timber Circularity Project, University of the Sunshine Coast, webpage accessed 30 September 2025.