Paper recycling

Advantages of paper recycling

Recycling of 1 ton of paper allows to save:

• the area of 2.3 m3 to 7 m3 on waste heap,
• 26 500 litres of water,
• 1476 litres of oil,
• 4200 kWh of energy - which is enough for heating an average flat for half a year.

Paper made of waste paper, instead of wood pulp, protects 17 trees from being cut down and decreases:

• power consumption by 75%,
• air pollution by 74%,
• the amount of sewage by 35%.

Disadvantages of paper recycling

• Paper can be used only three times as during processing its properties deteriorate (fibers become shorter).
• In the 90s, in the world, and still in central and eastern Europe, elementary chlorine or chlorine dioxide were used to bleach paper. Using chlorine causes huge environmental pollution and risk to human health. In pollution emitted by a paper mill and a pulp mill over 250 chemical compounds were identified and 180 of them were chlorinated substances. A medium - size paper mill emits about 35 tons of organic chlorine compounds a day, and plants which use chlorine dioxide - from 10 to 20 tones a day.
• The production of high-quality paper is possible without using chlorine if the process previous to bleaching is lengthened. It involves careful choice and preparation of wood and using in the production oxygen, perhydrol or other chlorine-free bleaching substances. In Norway, Sweden and Germany most of paper mills and pulp mills do not use chlorine any more.
• It would be also possible to reduce, to a considerable degree, the amount of pollution and damages caused by the paper industry if the production of paper from hemp were introduced on a larger scale.
• 4.2 times more paper can be obtained from the same area of hemp growing as from the same area of forest. Paper made from hemp may be recycled seven times. It has also better strength properties - it is less subject to tear and dampness and ten times more durable than normal paper. The reason is that it does not contain acids (natural ones). As it contains less lignin in comparison with wood pulp (20%), it does not necessitate such intensive milling and bleaching.
• In warmer climatic conditions paper is made from jute, kenaf, flax, rice or cotton. For example, in China 350 paper mills, out of 500, use non-wood materials for the production of paper materials.