The gross amount of waste paper used in UK newspapers as a percentage of total newsprint consumed was 68% compared to the target for 2003 of 65%.

The Confederation of Paper Industries director of external affairs Kathy Bradley said the industry was cautiously pleased by the results

The figures are good, but they are being viewed with a cautious pleasure, Bradley said.

In April 2000, UK newspaper publishers and British newsprint manufacturers agreed with the Government the following targets for the recycled fibre content of newspapers consumed in the UK: 60% recycled content by the end of 2001; 65% by the end of 2003 and 70% by the end of 2006.

The industry is on track to achieve the 70% target for 2006.

Annual audits are conducted independently by PaperChain, and the latest covers the 12 months to December 2003.

It found that the amount of waste newspaper consumed by UK newsprint producers as a proportion of their production was 110%.

The targets were reviewed in 2001 and remained unchanged. But they are due to be reviewed later this year taking the following factors into account: the availability of additional reprocessing capacity; the growth in consumption of newsprint; the quality of recycled newsprint available; and any uncompetitive pricing of recycled newsprint by newsprint suppliers.

By Andy Scott