How To Recycle Paper

By Guna Seelan

There are several differences depending on the certain classification of paper that is being recycled (newspaper, magazines, fiberboard). Recycling these products involves many processes as listed below.

Pulping: Adding water then engaging mechanical action to divide fibers from each other.

Screening: Using a screen-like material, with small holes so that the larger contaminants may be removed.

Centrifugal cleaning: Removing the more dense materials by spinning the pulp slurry with a cleaner.

Flotation: Letting air bubbles that are passing by to enter the pulp slurry causes the ink particles to cluster with the surface foam. With the contaminated foam removed, the pulp is adapted into a brighter material. Sometimes deinking is the term used for this process.

Dispersion or Kneading: A mechanical action is enforced to breakdown the particles that may be contaminant.

Washing: The water is ran through the pulp to removed the smaller particles still within the water.

Bleaching: This is dependent upon the color of paper needed. For the most common (white), hydrosulfites or peroxides are used to removed the color.

Papermaking: The newly bleached fibers are made into the new paper product using the same concept as the virgin paper was made.

Dissolved air flotation: To reuse the processed water is cleaned once more.

Waste disposal: The left over pupls and material that are no longer needed (sludge), is usally placed inside a landfill. Then to create energy, the materials are then burned to use at the mill or local farmers often use the materials as fertilizer for crops.

Standards

Paper is one of the most common recycling materials on earth. The average amount of recycling for each paper is 4-6 times due to the weakening of the fibers. To provide more strength the virgin pulp is mixed together with the paper being recycled.

There is not a standard of the maximum percentage that a virgin pulp can be in recycled paper. Most recycled paper has anywhere from 10%-100% used paper in it. Many companies that receive government money, state governments that collect funding; therefore, a 50% post-consumer recycled paper is the standard for use. The EPA doesn’t control recycled paper being used outside of our government. The only duty they have it setting a minimum guideline to go by. There are three divions of paper the may be purchased for feedstocks, including: pre/post-consumer waste. The trimmings left over at a virgin paper mill are described as the mill broke. The material that was sent for customers to purchase but was not ready are pre-consumer waste, and the material thrown away after being used is defined as post-consumer waste.

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