How is ecological recycled paper produced?
Did you know that the average person uses up to 50 kg of paper every year! More than 300 million tonnes of paper are produced worldwide each year. Nowadays, it would be impossible to obtain such large quantities of this material if it were not for recycling. From 1 tonne of recycled paper, up to 900 kg of recyclable paper can be obtained. It is therefore quite understandable that the field of recovered paper recycling is currently of great importance for the paper industry. In EU countries, approx. 70% of recovered paper in EU countries. It is a huge energy saver, a way of reducing water and air pollution, and an opportunity to protect trees. Thanks to current technological possibilities, fibres can be recycled up to three or four times while retaining their properties.
Recycled paper is therefore completely ecological. And, most importantly, it is used in many different areas of our lives.
How is recovered paper converted into paper?
The preparation of recovered paper for recycling already begins in our homes and offices, where we should segregate our waste by putting the paper into the appropriate containers. The collected waste paper then goes to a waste collection centre, where it is re-sorted, cleaned and compacted in baling machines.
A very important stage in the preparation of recovered paper is pulping, i.e. the separation of fibres. Often, various chemical compounds are added at this stage to aid in the de-inking processes of the recovered paper pulp.
The recovered paper must also undergo mechanical processes to remove various impurities and then de-inking. De-inking is essential for newsprint, writing paper, tissue paper, etc. However, this step is unnecessary when converting waste paper to produce corrugated board or wrapping paper.
Recycled fibre yield is 82%, the remaining percentage being water and impurities.
Use of recovered paper pulp
Once recovered paper pulp has been properly prepared, it can be reused in the production of various types of paper and cardboard. Recycled fibre products include recycled paper, packaging paper (testliner and fluting) and solid and coreboard.
