Paper Recycling

Paper Recycling General Information:

 

Paper recycling is an important industry in the United States and the world.  Approximately 208 million metric tonnes of paper were recovered in 2007. This was 53% of the world's production of paper (394 million tonnes). North America recovered 19 million tons of used paper in 2007. In contrast, Europe and Asia recovered 22 and 6 million, respectively.

The paper recovery makes a huge impact on landfills, in 2007, about 32 million ton of paper was landfilled in the United States and about 52 million tons of paper were recovered. The overall recovery rate was 56%. Recovered paper in the United States is mainly used for consumption at domestic mills (34 million tons) and for export (20 million tons), in 2007. The recovery rate for old corrugated containers and old newsprint was 78 and 73% respectively in 2007, whereas printing and writing grades were recovered at only 53%. one of the most critical parameters in paper recycling feasibility in the United States is the recovered paper price. If the recovered paper price continues to be high due to foreign demand then domestic paper recycling mills become less competitive with virgin fiber paper in the US.

Important advances are needed to improve the processes in recycling that dictate the quality of the product, the economics of the process and the environmental issues involved in recycling.

An introductory powerpoint presentation can be accessed here.   More detailed and up to date presentations on paper recycling can be found in the downloads section.

 

 

Green Paper: Is your paper product recyclable?

The recyclability of a paper-based product is not a straight forward, single measure, with obvious conclusion type of determination. Recyclability in terms of paper products should consider the following:

  1. the yield of re-usable fiber and the waste generated in the recycling the product
  2. the strength of the recycled fibers
  3. the ability of the fibers to be incorporated into standard papermaking processes
  4. the optical properties of the fibers
  5. the ease in which the contaminants contained in the paper are removed on recycling
  6. the propensity for the contaminants to interfere with recycling operations
  7. the surface properties of the recycled paper

It is proposed that all of the following criteria be met for a paper-based product to be considered "green" or equivalently, to be "recyclable" based on modern paper recycling operations:

  1. Yield of fibers: greater than 90% (OCC), 75% (ONP), 60% (magazine and printing papers), determined using a lab pulper, a lab screen (with 0.010 inch slots), and a thickening process (Tappi Handsheet Mold)
  2. Suitable for Papermaking : after a lab pulping step, the stock % retained on a Britt Jar should be greater than 80% (OCC), 65% (ONP), 50% (magazine and printing papers)
  3. Optical properties (for deinking grades only): Using the above recycling process 1 plus flotation with Wemco flotation cell for 3 minutes and standard conditions, that the tappi dirt count decrease by greater than 50% or the brightness increased by at least 2% ISO over the entire process.
  4. Interference with Recycling Operations: The contaminants of the pulp after the above recycling process 1 with flotation to have no more than 20 counts of depositable material per 20 grams of product, collected with 0.006 inch slotted lab screen.
  5. Surface Properties: the product have no more than a 30% decrease in slide angle relative to a suitable control material.

The determination of recyclability based on these criteria can be made by North Carolina State University as a technical service project for fee by contacting Dr. Venditti.