OUR WEEKLY BIG GREEN IDEA!
All you need to know…
About recycling paper
We’ve found this guide to recycling paper on www.recyclenow.com. A nationwide initiative to encourage us to get recycling. Beyond paper, you can learn about the complete recycle journey for aluminium, plastics, glass, steel and garden waste.Click here for more information.
Paper is one of the easiest materials to recycle. Paper is collected from our kerbside or recycling banks by local authorities and waste management companies.
Once the paper is collected it is then:
- Sorted, graded and delivered to a paper mill.
- Once at the paper mill it is added to water and then turned into pulp.
- The paper is then screened, cleaned and de-inked through a number of processes until it is suitable for papermaking.
- It is then ready to be made into new paper products such as newsprint, cardboard, packaging, tissue and office items.
It can take just seven days for a newspaper to go through the recycling process and be transformed into recycled newsprint which is used to make the majority of Britain’s national daily newspapers.
The bigger picture
Paper is a biodegradable material; this means that when it goes to landfill it will rot; bacteria will form and produce methane. This is a powerful greenhouse gas that is 23 times more potent than CO2 (carbon dioxide) and contributes to climate change. We currently recycle 66% of the paper we use.
Manufacturing virgin (brand new) paper uses more energy than making recycled paper, but varies dependent on the grade or type of paper being made. Lower quality paper, such as newsprint and packaging paper, require less energy to manufacture than office paper.
By simply recycling our paper we can:
- Reduce the consumption of energy
- Reduce the consumption of rainforest
- Reduce the amount of paper waste going to landfill
- Reduce the emission of gasses like methane into the atmosphere
Problems and issues
The main issue faced by the paper re-processors is the lack of high quality material available. Paper is often collected from your home with other recyclable items and although they are separated at a Materials Recycling Facility, these other items sometimes affect the quality of the paper. The main problem is when glass and paper are collected together because if shards of glass get into the paper mills it could cause extensive damage to the machinery.
Other items often mistakenly put in the recycling are:
- Pizza boxes – often contaminated with food residue
- Cartonboard trays and ovenable boards – these are often laminated with plastic liner materials
- Drink cartons - these are not made from paper alone but comprise of about 75% paper, 20% plastic (polyethylene) and 5% aluminium foil (for long-life products). As they are an amalgam of materials, they are sometimes collected separately to ordinary paper
Made from recycled paper…
Recycled paper can be made into a wide range of everyday products including:
- newspapers
- magazines
- printing paper
- cardboard
- tissue
- loft insulation
Main types of recycled paper…
The main types of paper used everyday that can be recycled are:
- Newspapers, magazines, telephone directories and unwanted mail
- Office paper
- Cardboard and other packaging paper
- Mixed or coloured paper
- Envelopes and Yellow Pages can sometimes be difficult to recycle and the availability of recycling collection facilities varies across the country.
© 2010 Paradigm Housing, Hundreds House, 24 London Road West, Amersham, Bucks HP7 0EZ