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The global production of paper and cardboard totals more than 400 million metric tons each year, with the United States and China being the two largest paper-producing countries in the world.
Demand for waste paper products comes at an environmental cost. Indeed, it’s estimated that between four and eight billion trees are cut down for paper production every year, with each American consuming the equivalent of 3.6 trees in the same period.
Through comprehensive and efficient recycling efforts, it’s possible to reduce the carbon footprint of the paper industry. Thanks to technological innovations, consumer awareness surrounding sustainability issues, and more effective supply chain management, paper recycling is more efficient, effective, and scalable than ever. In fact, paper is one of the most widely recycled materials in the world.
What is the paper recycling process, and what are the current challenges associated?
What Is Paper Recycling?
Paper recycling refers to the process of turning waste paper into new paper products. In the paper recycling industry, this recovered paper is often called “paper stock.”
According to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Guides for Environmental Marketing Claims, a paper product can be classified as “recycled” only if it contains 100% recovered fiber. If the recovered fiber content is anything less than 100%, the paper product should be referred to as “recycled-content” paper.
The Process of Paper Recycling
Waste paper is typically recycled at a paper mill or materials recovery facility. The paper recycled at these plants undergoes a six-step process.
1. Collection and Transportation
Different entities — households, schools, businesses, and industrial manufacturers — gather and store paper scraps and waste.
Recyclers collect these materials from various pick-up points, such as paper scrap yards and trash cans, before depositing acceptable materials into larger containers for transport to a materials recovery facility (MRF).
Waste paper contaminated with grease, food, and other chemicals cannot be recycled and will be diverted to landfills before being sent to an MRF.
In addition, some recycling facilities will not accept shredded paper since it is easily caught in machinery, resulting in production line shutdowns or delays.
2. Sorting
Once the waste paper reaches a recycling plant, they are graded for quality (cleanliness and type) and sorted into different categories. Some waste paper will be discarded and sent to a landfill at this stage.
This step is vital as different grades, colors, finishes, and coatings require different recycling techniques and determine which new paper products can be manufactured.
3. Shredding and Pulping
Once sorted into categories, the recyclable paper is sent to paper mills for shredding and pulping.
The paper is shredded into small scraps before mixed with water and chemicals, including hydrogen peroxide, sodium hydroxide, and sodium silicate. This separates the paper fibers, resulting in a mushy solution of oatmeal consistency known as pulp.
4. Screening
At this point, the paper pulp is passed through a series of screens containing holes of different shapes and sizes. This ensures that large contaminants, such as paper clips, staples, and tape, are removed.
5. De-Inking and Floatation
Once large contaminants have been removed, the paper pulp is placed inside a floatation tank.
Here, additional chemicals and bubbles are added, which work to remove dyes and inks from the pulp and enhance the purity and whiteness of the recycled product.
To produce a bright white printer paper, small amounts of blue and black dyes can be added. Other colors of dye can also be added to create colored paper.
6. Drying
The pulp consists of 99% water and just 1% paper fibers at this stage.
To dry it out, the pulp is passed over press rollers, which remove a lot of excess water, before passing over a heated metal roller, eventually forming long rolls of continuous sheets. The sheets are trimmed and rolled before being sent out to manufacturers to be made into usable products.
Recyclable Paper Products
Paper products for recycling can be divided into three categories:
- Mill Broke: This refers to paper cuttings and scraps left behind while manufacturing paper products, which are unsuitable for use in end-products. These materials are often reused in the paper-making process.
- Pre-Consumer Waste: These are paper materials from surplus or damaged products that are recovered and processed in a recycling center before ever reaching an end customer.
- Post-Consumer Fibers (PCF): These are paper products that have been sold to an end customer to serve their original purpose before being recovered and processed in a recycling facility. Some examples of PCFs include old newspapers, paper towels, printer paper, magazines, envelopes, paper bags, and cardboard packaging.
Benefits Associated with Recycling Paper
Some of the benefits of recycling paper include:
1. Reduces Landfill Waste
When more consumers and organizations recycle paper, less waste is sent to landfills. Indeed, it’s estimated that 1.4 billion trees end up in landfills yearly due to product packaging and other forms of waste paper.
2. Conserves Natural Resources
Recycling dramatically reduces the number of trees and amount of water used by the paper industry, thus preserving some of the natural resources the planet so heavily relies upon.
3. Saves Energy
The paper-production industry is water and energy-intensive. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that recycling one ton of paper saves 380 gallons of oil, 7,000 gallons of water, and enough energy to power the average American home for up to six months.
4. Cuts Costs
Paper recycling promises several cost benefits to organizations. Firstly, diverging paper from landfills reduces business waste costs.
Secondly, organizations with comprehensive recycling initiatives may receive tax credits from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Finally, eco-conscious consumers are more likely to engage and re-engage with organizations that prioritize sustainable business practices.
5. Smaller Carbon Footprint
Paper and pulp production was responsible for an estimated 190 Mt of carbon dioxide emissions in 2021. This represented around 2% of all emissions and was a historic high for the industry.
Given that paper production is projected to increase in the coming years, it’s imperative to drive more sustainable processes.
6. Can Be Recycled Several Times
While some materials, including shrink-wrap plastic and used cooking oil, can only be recycled two or three times, recovered paper can be repurposed between five and seven times before the fibers become too weak for reuse.
Challenges Associated with Recycling Paper
There are some challenges to paper recycling.
1. Contamination
Cardboard and paper products contaminated with grease, moisture, mold, or food debris cannot be recycled.
Unfortunately, contaminated items are frequently sent to paper mills or recycling plants because people assume they can be repurposed. Not only does this create additional sorting work, but good quality waste papers are also contaminated.
2. Low-Quality Paper
Though paper products can be recycled between five and seven times, the fibers degrade a little more with each round, which leads to a decline in essential qualities like strength and weight. Once a recycled paper product is considered unusable, it will be sent to landfills.
In addition, low-grade paper waste can only produce low-grade recycled products. This means it is not possible to manufacture bright-white, high-quality office paper from mixed paper waste, which might include everything from brown paper bags and old corrugated containers to egg cartons and paper plates.
3. High Water and Energy Use
The recycling process results in 44% less greenhouse gas emissions, produces 53% less wastewater, and results in 39% less solid waste than the production of virgin paper fiber.
However, paper recycling is still reasonably energy and water intensive. To produce one ton of recycled paper takes about 22 million BTUs.
4. High Costs
A carefully managed paper recycling program can be more cost-effective than other methods of waste disposal. However, establishing such a scheme takes time, investment, and expertise — things many organizations simply don’t have.
In addition, existing recycling systems must be set up for maximum efficiency and cost-effectiveness. In the United States, for example, many cities use single-stream recycling, which means all waste materials are collected and transported in the same containers. While this results in less hassle for consumers and businesses, it is much more expensive and time-consuming to extract and sort paper waste.
Paper Recycling in the Supply Chain
In recent years, the paper production and recycling industries have faced several supply chain challenges.
The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 led to factory closures, materials shortages, and shipping delays, which halted production and drove up prices.
Soon after, the shipping container crisis saw U.S. paper waste and other recyclables bound for developing nations losing space to more valuable product shipments. This made it more difficult for organizations to efficiently and cost-effectively recycle their paper products and exacerbated an existing problem. China had already imposed a ban on trash imports, including recyclables, which went into effect in 2018. Before the ban, China was the largest consumer of global waste paper, importing almost half of the world’s paper waste.
The pandemic also resulted in a sudden rise in e-commerce, sparking a huge demand for paper-based packing materials. In response, many U.S. paper mills prioritized the production of cardboard to meet this shift in demand, which resulted in shortages of paper.
Innovations in Paper Recycling Technology
Technological advancements are enabling a more efficient and more sustainable paper recycling process.
Georgia-Pacific’s first commercial recycling center, for example, is using Juno Technology to process waste and recover and sanitize valuable raw materials. This breakthrough waste recovery technology can recover up to 90% of materials — including waste paper — it processes, thus diverting them from landfills and incinerators.
Meanwhile, the Japanese electronics company, Epson, has developed the world’s first office papermaking and recycling machine, the PaperLab. The 200-square-foot paper recycling system can recycle a sheet of inked-up paper within three minutes. As well as eliminating the usual transportation footprint, which includes the collection and shipping of waste paper and recycled products, the machine uses a water-free, three-step process.
Other developments in sorting, deinking, bleaching, and pulping are resulting in better-quality recycled paper products.
The Future of Paper Recycling
Despite challenges relating to cost, contamination, and the supply chain, a large proportion of waste paper and cardboard is recycled in the United States.
According to the American Forest & Paper Association (AFPA), the paper recycling rate has met or exceeded 63% since 2009, which is particularly impressive considering just 33.5% was recycled in 1990. At 91.4%, the rate of cardboard recycling is especially high.
Several factors are supporting the industry’s continued growth and success.
Firstly, effective recycling programs are more widely available. Indeed, it’s estimated that 94% of Americans have access to community recycling programs
Secondly, large investments are being made in recycling infrastructure. The AFPA states that $5 billion in investments, planned or announced for 2019-2024, will use 7.8 million tons of recycled fiber.
Thirdly, new technologies that enhance the recycling process enable fast production of better-quality and sustainable recycled products.
Finally, the paper industry is working hard to develop initiatives that encourage consumers and businesses to recycle paper. The AFPA, for example, has developed a tool that helps manufacturers produce sustainable packaging and meet their sustainability goals. It’s evident that initiatives like this are paying off. In 2020, 80% of all paper mills in the U.S. used recycled paper to create new products.
If the world could reduce its dependency on paper products, the environment would certainly benefit. Effective, efficient, and sustainable paper recycling is the next best thing.