How is Paper Recycled at our Paper Mill?

Shredall recycle 100% of all paper that comes to us for shredding. But how is the paper recycled once it gets to the paper mill? And what happens to it afterwards? Here's a step-by-step breakdown of the recycling process:

•  The paper is graded into different qualities.
   
•  White recycled paper is pulped in tanks to wash off all inks, inverting it into its raw state so that the fibres can re-used as recycled product.
   
• These fibres are then screened to remove various bits of debris such as paper clips. All metals are pulled from the pulp by electro magnets.
   
• In a floatation tank the fibres are cleaned and deinked several times and as a result the fibres get whiter and whiter. Whitening agents are added at this stage and the pulp, which is 99% water and 1% fibre is then pumped onto a paper machine.
   
• It is then passed over a vibrating machine or through rollers which remove most of the water. The water is sent back to the beginning of the process, the remaining material now contains half fibre and half water.
   
• The sheets are passed through a drying section on heated rollers where the temperature reaches 130 degrees and water is reduced by 5%. The process makes the paper whiter, smoother and more useable.
   
• The paper is then dried and run through a machine that acts like an ironing board. It is then wound into huge rolls that weigh up to 30 tonnes.
   
• The paper is tested to make sure it reaches the correct standard and quality for strength, gloss and brightness.
   
• These rolls are then divided into smaller reels or sheets, packed and stored before despatching to printers.
   
• Sorted office paper follows a similar process to printers papers although they are blown in the end process to create giant reels of tissue these are then put onto converters to produce toilet tissue and other tissue related products.
   
• Low rated recyclable fibres that contain contaminates such as office plastic, reproduce a lower yield of fibres and these are often recycled for use as industrial hand towels etc…
   
• The quality of paper produced through our recycled paper when recycled back into fibres is comparable to that made from virgin raw material.

For more information, visit our paper recycling page, or see how our recycling helps the enviromnent at our recycling facts page.