Recycling

The Paper Recycling Process

There are six major steps in the recycling process:

• Step 1 PICK UP

  Waste paper from offices, schools and business’s is collected by Leeds Paper Recycling.

• Step 2 SORTING

  At the recycling centre the paper is sorted to remove any contaminants like paper clips, staples and other waste materials that can’t be recycled. The paper is then baled and sent to the mill.

• Step 3 REPULPING

  At the mill the bales of sorted recovered paper are soaked in large vats of water and chemicals, where they separate into fibres, this creates pulp.

• Step 4 SCREENING

  The pulp is then filtered through a number of screens to remove impurities such as coatings, additives, fillers and loose ink particles.

• Step 5 DE-INKING

  Paper that had ink on it, such as newspapers and magazines must have the ink removed before it can be made into a new paper product. The pulp enters a floatation device, soapy chemicals are added to help the ink separate from the pulp. Air bubbles are blown into the mixture, the ink attaches to the bubbles and rises to the top. The inky bubbles are then skimmed off, leaving the pulp ink free.

• Step 6 NEW PRODUCTS

  The cleaned and de-inked pulp is often mixed with new pulp to be made into new paper products.

Facts on paper recycling

• Recycling a tonne of paper spares 17 trees
• Recycling paper uses half the amount of energy needed to manufacture paper from virgin materials
• The worlds first piece of paper was made from recycled material, around 200 bc the chinese used old fishing nets to make the worlds very first piece of paper
• Recycling half the worlds paper would free 20 million acres of forest land
• Recycling 1 stack of newspapers, 6 feet tall, saves the life of 1 tree, 35 feet tall
• Every tonne of paper recycled is one tonne less on its way to landfill
• We use 12.5 million tonnes of paper and cardboard every year in the uk
• When paper and cardboard start to decompose it gives off methane gas, a big contributing factor to climate change
• Every year in britain, offices throw away around 1 million tonnes of paper. much of this is destined for landfill when it could be recycled

Facts on metal recycling

• Recycling 1 aluminium can saves enough energy to run a tv for 3 hours
  
• Once an aluminium can is recycled it is part of a new can within 6 weeks
  
• There is no limit to the amount of times an aluminium can can be recycled
  
• At one time, aluminium was more valuable than gold
  
• The energy it takes to make 1 new aluminium can is the same as it is to make 20 recycled cans
  
• Over 4 billion aluminium drinks cans were sold in 1998, if they had been collected for recycling they would have been worth £38 million
  
• Nearly 60% of the aluminium used in the uk has been previously recycled
  
• Recycling steel and tin cans saves 74% of the energy used to produce them

Facts on plastic recycling

• Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as it takes to burn it in an incinerator
  
• 1 recycled plastic bottle would save enough energy to power a 60 watt light bulb for 3 hours
  
• 275,000 tonnes of plastic are used each year in the uk, that’s about 15 million bottles per day
  
• Plastic can take up to 500 years to decompose
  
• We produce and use 20 times more plastic today than we did 50 years ago
  
• The worlds annual consumpton of plastic materials has increased from arounf 5 million tonnes in the 1950’s to nearly 100 million tonnes today.
  
• Five recycled soft drinks bottles will make enough fibrefill for a mans ski jacket

Where do the materials we recycle go?

The recycling trade is world wide and each different recycling material can end up at a different destination. As well as staying in the UK your recycling materials can be exported to several different countries including, Germany, China and the US.

The paper industry is Briton's largest recycler with two thirds of the industry directly involved in recycling and 75% of the industry’s fibrous raw material is waste/recovered paper.

In 2006, the UK paper and cardboard mills used 4.2 million tonnes of recovered paper with a further 3.9 million tonnes exported.

What happens to material we recycle?

• PAPER

  Once through the recycling process recycled paper is often used to make newsprint for daily newspapers. Higher quality paper can be used as office paper and for publications. Other uses for recycled paper include computer paper, note pads and toilet paper.

• CARDBOARD

  Cardboard is mostly made back into cardboard and packaging for businesses to use again.

• ALUMINIMUM AND STEEL

  Aluminium cans are sorted and compressed for re-processing. After being crushed, shredded, heated and melted, pure aluminium is sent to can manufacturers who produce new drinks cans.

  Steel tins are melted down to make new steel products, which include anything from new tins and domestic appliances to steel girders.

• PLASTIC BOTTLES

  Plastic bottles are rarely recycled into new bottles, instead plastic is generally used for products such as storage boxes, bins, fencing and garden furniture. Some of the more specialised products made from recycled plastic include ‘eco-fleece’ clothing, the material inside duvets and pillows and recycled stationary, such as pencils.

• FOOD & ORGANIC WASTE

  All the banana skins, tea bags, food scraps, food waste and green waste is sent for composting.

• RESIDUE

  Residue is sent for energy recovery.

• TEXTILES

  Any clothes/shoes that can be re used are sent for re use. Some clothes are sent for sorting and packing to help third world countries. Any leftover are sent for use in the rag trade.

• BRICKS/RUBBLE

  These are sent for aggregate use.