Paper Salvage 1939–50

The compulsory recycling – or, as it was known, salvage – of paper in wartime and postwar Britain focused primarily on raising household collections.

It was inextricably linked to military and economic concerns and drew upon the experience of the First World War when prices had been driven up by the disruption to imports.

Municipal authorities were required to submit targets and collection statistics to Whitehall, whilst housewives were encouraged to sort their waste.

[citation needed] Locally, the scheme was run by over a hundred thousand volunteer salvage stewards who manned depots and encouraged the sorting of waste.

[9] With the price of scrap paper fixed at around £5 a ton for a mixed bundle (compared to 5s before the war) and rising for higher grades, this contributed between £3m and £5m to the economy.