Every time I see a pack of paper, it proudly says "MADE IN INDONESIA." So long as cheap paper made from clear-cut rainforests and monkey massacres exists, I think I'd rather stick to (somewhat) locally recycled, even if it's not a perfect solution.
I wonder if we should compost paper instead of recycling it? Or try to vitrify it?
Forests can be used to sequester carbon because of the large number of trees continuously in existence even if individual trees come and go.
For paper, the sequestration angle is more dubious but should also be considered based on the total amount of paper continuously in existence, not on the longevity of a single sheet of paper.
Also, wouldn't composting it release as much carbon as putting it in landfill? And landfills are bad in many ways.
Recycling it seems a better idea.
Somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but maybe companies should brand non-recycled paper products as carbon-sequestered paper instead, and tell people to send it to landfill rather than recycle it for maximum sequestration purposes.