Learn What Happens to Paper When You Throw It Away

Paper is one of the most widely recycled materials worldwide because, when collected clean, it is an excellent raw material for producing new paper.

Discover the five stages of paper recycling:

1) COLLECTION

Used paper is collected either by public or private organizations, as there is no official national collection system.
Many businesses and industries gather paper in special bins, which is then sent to paper mills for recycling.

Household paper is collected in the blue bin (although this bin is officially for packaging) and then sent, via Recycling Sorting Centers (KDAY), to paper mills.

It is important that paper is collected separately from other materials and kept clean!

2) PULPING

After collection and sorting, the paper is transferred to pulping machines. There, it is shredded and mixed with water so that the fibers can be separated and cleaned.

This process removes large impurities such as staples and traces of plastic or glass. The paper fibers are gradually cleaned, and the pulp is filtered several times until suitable for processing.

3) DE-INKING

In the next stage, ink residues are removed in a process called de-inking, which improves the whiteness of the mixture. Air is injected into the paper–water slurry, causing the ink to adhere to the air bubbles and rise to the surface, where it is collected. If necessary, the paper fibers are further bleached with hydrogen peroxide.

4) PULP PREPARATION

Through these processes, the paper fibers are progressively purified. After filtration and quality checks, the final pulp is ready to be used for new paper production. Depending on the paper type, some amount of new raw material may be added. For example, newspapers and cardboard packaging can be produced from 100% recycled paper.

5) PAPER SHEET FORMATION

With the help of machinery, the pulp is shaped into sheets, pressed, and dried. The final finishing of the paper is carried out according to the buyer’s requirements.