Wednesday, 11 February 2015

Understanding the Process and Consequences of Paper Shredder Recycling

Paper Shredder recycling is one of the growing industries in the world. Recyclable waste compacted with the help of paper waste compactors installed in industries is the chief source tapped by paper recycling companies. More and more Industries are increasingly showing interest in disposing their paper wastes for recycling. This seems to benefit the recycling companies as well since the Industries seem to be well-equipped to satiate the growing thirst for recycled paper which households are unable to provide. To understand the full implication of this growing trend, it is important to take a look at the processes involved in recycling paper.

Paper Shredder Recycling –The full cycle from pulp to paper

The Paper shredder recycling process involves a three step flow of namely:
•    Collection
•    Pulping
•    De-inking

Paper waste compactors provide the recyclable waste in the form of compacted mounds and are collected from waste management companies. Paper mills or smaller organizations generating substantial recyclable paper waste may also be the possible suppliers of raw materials for recycled paper. Also a collection of paper wastes are not done along with any other waste as paper is used for a variety of purposes and it needs special care to prevent it from becoming polluted.

The second stage or Pulping involves an elaborate cleansing process of the recovered paper. While being pulped in paper mills, several non-fibrous pollutants, if any, still exist on the recovered paper have to be removed. As the fibres in the recovered paper are being reused, they would tend to have different characteristics when being reused. Therefore the pulping stage also involves a process of grading the paper shredder recycled papers. A thorough cleansing process of the recovered fibres to make it free of all contaminants marks this stage extensively.

The third stage or the De-inking stage is very crucial since the Paper waste compactors generate recyclable waste from various kinds of sources. As the paper is used for a variety of reasons, including hygiene, therefore it is very important that recovered paper is properly cleansed and made ready for use. The de-inking process involves dissolving the recovered paper in water and removing the non-fibre pollutants like staples, glass and so on. The ink is gradually removed from the fibres in the recovered paper by blowing air into the solution. The fibre is again thoroughly cleaned and bleached using hydrogen peroxide.

Though there may be variations to the process followed in recycling paper from one industry to the other, the basic concepts remain the same.

How good are paper-shredder recycled products as raw material for new paper?

Cellulose wood fibre is the chief component of the paper. The recyclable waste output generated from paper waste compactor tends to shorten the fibres affecting its quality and grade. Therefore paper made from recovered paper that have been recycled several times may lead to poorer quality paper with shorter fibres that are used in toilets and wash areas.

Moreover, it is not a good idea to use compacted waste paper from paper waste compactor using toxic inks for composting.

Paper shredder recycling, though useful, needs to be practiced with real thought and caution. Random shredding may lead to more negative results than positive.

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