by Maddie Perlman-Gabel, ENN.com
On ENN we
talk a lot about the importance of recycling and sustainability. Over the
last year and a half we have had articles addressing the recycling of a
range of items, including food, batteries, and clothing, to name a few.
I am a
religious recycler, but honestly I am not well educated on what happens after
the municipal truck comes to my home to pick my recyclables. How does a used
sheet a paper turn into a product made from like paper towels or a newspaper?
I decided
to step out of my shell of ignorance to investigate what really happens.
Below you will see a quick summary of the journey a piece of paper or cardboard
must go through to be recycled.
Pickup
Collection
of recyclables varies depending on the community/municipality. The main 4 types
of collection are: curbside, drop-off centers, buy-back centers, and deposit/refund
programs.
Initial Sorting
If your
town recyclable program uses single stream recycling (all types of recyclables
are comingled) the recyclables need to be sorted before going to a materials
recovery facility.
Pulping
Paper is
chopped up and water is added.
Screening
The paper
pulp is pushed through a screen that removes unwanted materials (like staples).
Cleaning
A
centrifuge is used to separate fibers that are more solid than the rest.
Flotation/De-Inking
The pulp
is mixed with a surfactant to collect and discard ink particles from the pulp.
Washing
Water is
passed through the pulp to further clean it. If the desired end product is
white paper product, bleach is sometimes added.
Dissolved Air Flotation
Dissolved
air floatation is used to clean the water used in the recycling process so that
it can be reused again.
Re-Use of Processed Paper
The
material is now ready to be re-used/manufactured. The materials recovery
facility can sell the cleaned paper byproduct to other companies that can turn
it into a finished product.
Recycle
Paper via Shutterstock
Shredded
Paper via Shutterstock