Still the world's best print recycler, Australia has beaten last year's best to show consumers currently recycle 77 per cent of all print products.

The rate is a one per cent increase on the previous year, according to data provided to the NewsMediaWorks Advisory Group by publisher members.

The rate is a substantial change from the late 1980s, when only about a third of all newspapers were recycled. Since then more than 37 trillion newspapers have been recycled.

NewsMediaWorks says all newsprint in Australia is made from trees grown in sustainable pine plantations, and recovered print products are recycled to create more newsprint or products such as cardboard, egg cartons and building materials.

The new industry figures have coincided with News Corp Australia's environmental sustainability initiative, 1 Degree, marking ten years of progress and change in print distribution.

1 Degree calls for employees, business partners, advertisers and suppliers of news media to make "one degree of difference" for the environment.

Since its launch, the initiative has seen the company reduce its carbon footprint by 39 per cent, equivalent to taking 14,865 cars off the road.

Fairfax Media has its own environmental objectives, led by the company's People and Culture Committee. The committee ensures the company sets, reaches, and maintains sustainability targets throughout the company. In 2016, Fairfax encountered no environmental breaches, improvement notices, fines or non-compliance from any regulatory bodies - and no environmental accidents.

NewsMediaWorks' Environment Advisory Group, which represents all of Australia's major publishers including News and Fairfax Media, renewed its environmental ad campaign in January.