Yes, paper is one of the easiest materials to recycle; however for effective recycling, paper must be free from contaminants like grease and food waste, it also needs to be free from materials such as plastic or wax. This can stop the paper from being properly broken down into pulp during the recycling process, which prevents it being turned into new paper products.
When paper is recycled, it preserves natural resources, saves energy, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and keeps landfill space free from other types of waste that can’t be recycled.
In the UK, we recycle around 80% of the paper we use. However globally, more than 4 billion trees each year just to produce paper. While we’ve made progress in recycling, there’s still plenty of room for improvement.
What is paper recycling?
Paper recycling is the process of collecting used paper products and turning them into new paper products. It's a straightforward and efficient way to reuse a common material such as paper, while also being one of the easiest materials to recycle.
How is paper recycled?
From the moment the paper hits the bin, we’ll take you through the step-by-step process of how paper is recycled:
1. Collection
The paper recycling process starts with a business, home or organisation creating the paper waste and storing it in their paper waste bins. Once the paper is collected by a professional service provider, it is transported to a secure shredding depot.
2. Shredding and pulping
The paper is then finely shredded, breaking down the material into small pieces. The paper is then graded into different quantities and pulped into tanks with a large amount of water and chemicals to break down and separate the fibres of the paper.
Once the pulp is formed, it is passed through several screens to remove any debris. Electromagnets pick up any metals, like paperclips and staples.
3. De-inking
The fibres are cleaned and deinked several times in a flotation tank, making the fibres whiter in colour each time. This step repeatedly bleaches the pulp until it is ready for the final stage.
4. Drying and testing
It’s passed over a vibrating machine or through rollers to remove most of the water. The water is sent back to the beginning of the process and the remaining material is now half fibre and half water.
The sheets are passed over heated rollers with a temperature of up to 130 degrees. The water content reduces by 5%, making the paper whiter, smoother and usable.
The paper is then tested to make sure it reaches the correct standard and quality for strength, gloss and brightness. The rolls are divided into smaller reels or sheets, packed ready to be sent to manufacturers that use paper to make their product.
Some recycling plants will have processes that look slightly different, but this is the method that has been used to turn the thousands of tonnes of the paper we’ve shredded over the years into new products ready for consumption.
Benefits of paper recycling
For every 1 ton of paper a business recycles, it can save 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 380 gallons of oil, 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space and 4,000 kilowatts of energy – enough to power the average home for six months. As mentioned before, each ton of paper that's recycled reduces greenhouse gas emissions by one metric ton of carbon equivalent (MTCE). These are just some of the benefits of paper recycling when it comes to the amount of natural resources and energy that is saved in the recycling process.
By reducing the energy needed to cut down trees and produce new paper, recycling helps to conserve non-renewable energy sources. It takes 70% less energy to recycle than to produce new paper, so we should choose to recycle wherever possible.
Paper can be recycled more than just once, however, every time it is recycled, the fibre becomes shorter and weaker. In most cases, paper can be recycled up to seven times before it must be discarded.
Recycle your paper with us
Shredall SDS Group ensures that 100% of the paper waste we destroy is recycled. Recycling paper is an important element in most businesses sustainability plans and when handled correctly, you’re helping the environment and boosting your security.
We can provide businesses with environmental certificates and certificates of destruction to prove you are keeping your data safe and helping the environment. We are committed to making sure that none of that paper goes to landfill, so we pack it into enormous bales and transport it to our paper recycling partners, who take care of the recycling process. Get in touch today to schedule a one-off or scheduled service.
