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The article examines issues relating to the wastepaper industry in Great Britain. IT has been suggested that of all the secondary materials presently discarded as waste, recovery of paper and board residuals can offer the greatest economic savings. Production has been concentrated in larger units and the industry as a whole has sought 10 specialise in a limited range of end-products, many of which are based on substantial inputs of recycled fibre. During 1980 some 16 mills and 44 machines were closed down. In total the industry lost some 20 percent of its production capacity, including 500,000 tonnes of recycled fibre using capacity. The fibre board containers market is the second largest sector in the packaging products industry and corrugated cases, which occupy 95 percent of this market, can contain up to 65 percent recycled fibre. The wastepaper supply enterprises have sought to meet the mills' requirements. Wastepaper is not an homogeneous product and there are a number of sub-markets in existence based on the quality or grade of the paper and board residuals concerned. On the supply side, while some of the merchant enterprises are large firms in their own right, and at least one has begun to diversify into aluminum can recovery, the enterprises are characteristically small scale and numerous. by recycling residuals from a range of generation sources.