Secondary fiber is fibrous material that has already been through the manufacturing process and is used once again as a raw material. The demand for recycled products has risen over the past years, driven by factors such as concern for the environment and consumer demand. The quality has improved greatly in the past few years due to technological advances.
There are different sources of these recycled fibers. For example, wastage from the manufacture of paper is recycled within the paper mills. There has been a major move in recent years by municipal and national authorities to put in place policies to encourage post-consumer waste recovery. This consists of anything from old newspapers and magazines to old corrugated containers.
Using these recycled fibers rather than virgin pulp means that trees are saved, reducing the exploitation of old forests. Most of the energy used to turn wood into paper is used in the pulping. When recycled fibers are pulped less energy and water are required. Recycling of fibers also means that less waste requires disposal, thus reducing landfill volume.
Fibers for recycling have to be collected, stored, sorted and classified for various quality grades. They need to be processed in such a way as to eliminate any ink and contaminants. Recycling does cause a reduction in strength and length of fibers, so the number of times fibers can be recycled has a limit. Fibers are broken down into pulp which is then cleaned, de-inked and bleached before being used for new products.
The main objectives are to remove ink and any other contaminants while at the same time keeping the quality of the fibers intact. There are some problems associated with the recycling of fibers. The de-inking is one of these problems. Another is that recycled fibers have a higher drainage resistance making machines work slower. Tacky pliable materials like latex, adhesive and rubber called stickies are another problem. However, these problems are being addressed successfully. The use of enzymes, naturally occurring compounds, has showed great potential in solving these issues.
The quality of products produced from recycled fibers has improved dramatically over the past few years. They are now able to compete with products made from primary fibers with regard to brightness, opacity and smoothness. The price too has become competitive. Just about every paper company now produces products with recycled content and the wide range and quality satisfies the demands of even the most discerning consumers.
Chlorine has been used for many years in the paper making industry to bleach paper. However, it is being used less and less as information comes to light on the effects of dioxin, a carcinogen, which is a by product of the chlorine bleaching process. Pressure has been placed on paper mills to decrease chlorine usage and many mills are using other bleaching methods. Chlorine-free bleaching of recycled fibers is increasingly prevalent throughout the world.
The use of secondary fiber is increasing yearly and this trend is likely to continue. The fact that consumers do not have to make any compromises with regard to quality or price makes use of these products increasingly attractive. High performance products are available that meet the same technical specifications as virgin paper.
There are different sources of these recycled fibers. For example, wastage from the manufacture of paper is recycled within the paper mills. There has been a major move in recent years by municipal and national authorities to put in place policies to encourage post-consumer waste recovery. This consists of anything from old newspapers and magazines to old corrugated containers.
Using these recycled fibers rather than virgin pulp means that trees are saved, reducing the exploitation of old forests. Most of the energy used to turn wood into paper is used in the pulping. When recycled fibers are pulped less energy and water are required. Recycling of fibers also means that less waste requires disposal, thus reducing landfill volume.
Fibers for recycling have to be collected, stored, sorted and classified for various quality grades. They need to be processed in such a way as to eliminate any ink and contaminants. Recycling does cause a reduction in strength and length of fibers, so the number of times fibers can be recycled has a limit. Fibers are broken down into pulp which is then cleaned, de-inked and bleached before being used for new products.
The main objectives are to remove ink and any other contaminants while at the same time keeping the quality of the fibers intact. There are some problems associated with the recycling of fibers. The de-inking is one of these problems. Another is that recycled fibers have a higher drainage resistance making machines work slower. Tacky pliable materials like latex, adhesive and rubber called stickies are another problem. However, these problems are being addressed successfully. The use of enzymes, naturally occurring compounds, has showed great potential in solving these issues.
The quality of products produced from recycled fibers has improved dramatically over the past few years. They are now able to compete with products made from primary fibers with regard to brightness, opacity and smoothness. The price too has become competitive. Just about every paper company now produces products with recycled content and the wide range and quality satisfies the demands of even the most discerning consumers.
Chlorine has been used for many years in the paper making industry to bleach paper. However, it is being used less and less as information comes to light on the effects of dioxin, a carcinogen, which is a by product of the chlorine bleaching process. Pressure has been placed on paper mills to decrease chlorine usage and many mills are using other bleaching methods. Chlorine-free bleaching of recycled fibers is increasingly prevalent throughout the world.
The use of secondary fiber is increasing yearly and this trend is likely to continue. The fact that consumers do not have to make any compromises with regard to quality or price makes use of these products increasingly attractive. High performance products are available that meet the same technical specifications as virgin paper.
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