Learning the Ins and Outs of Paper Recycling and Cardboard Recycling
There are a lot of misconceptions about paper recycling and cardboard recycling. As useful as paper is as a material in manufacturing newspapers, magazines, books, and so much more, it’s also used in packaging for foods and so many goods. It’s the packaging where a lot of the recycling industry’s interest is at because there is so much of it. Although most paper can be recycled post-use, not all of it can be for several reasons.
As a little glimpse into how paper is recycled, in order to recycle the material, it must be sorted, graded, and baled first. After paper’s been baled, it is then transported to a paper mill. After it’s arrived at the paper mill, it is broken up into a pulp mix. Water is added, alongside chemicals which creates a sort of paper-based mush. Using this mush, new paper can be formed. The mush is spread out across a moving belt and the water is drained away. The paper in a continuous layer is passed through a series of heated rollers. The paper is flattened, dried, and ironed to polish. Following this process, the paper is then rolled into huge reels and cut into sheets.
When discussing how we recycle paper-based product, another component that needs to be considered is fiber. Paper is comprised of fibers that have been mashed together. Every time paper is recycled, the fibers get shorter and shorter. The thing is the longer the fiber is, the better quality the paper is. Thereby, over time, the quality reduces and reduces. Thankfully, there’s several low quality paper product needs out there, such as newspapers. As a matter of fact, the newspaper industry is one of the biggest users of recycled paper. Cardboard and toilet paper routinely make use of recycled paper as well.
It also bears noting that not all paper is recycled back into paper. Animal bedding is sometimes manufactured from recycled paper. Paper is also sometimes made into a material to insulate homes. This type of recycled ‘paper fluff’ is put into the gap between the inner and outer walls, helping to keep heat inside. Among the other uses of recycled paper are disposable diapers.
The primary reason why paper and cardboard is rejected from recycling is when there is contamination. For example, let’s say you get a pizza in a cardboard box. The cardboard box cannot be recycled because it’s been contaminated with grease. When anything spills onto paper, its ability to be recycled shrinks down to zilch. Although paper recycling is a multi-million dollar industry, finding ways to reduce paper consumption has also been encouraged. Thankfully, due to the rise of emails and electronic statements, paper use has fallen tremendously within the last two decades.
If you are a small business or corporate office seeking ways to reduce its paper consumption and/or improve existing recycling practices, we can help. Core Mini Bins is a Toronto waste management and recycling company, specializing in helping customers from all walks of life find optimum waste solutions for their needs. We also provide junk removal, garbage bin rental, dumpster and bin rentals, and waste disposal. As an eco-friendly company, we also do our best to work with community partners to facilitate donations and reuse whenever possible. Contact a representative today for more information.
