Paper Recycling can't be that confusing

Most of us don’t think about recycling much past when the driver picks it up or we drop it off at the local recycling center.Of course, the process of making new material from used items is important, sometimes it's just not that important.  You could schedule a visit to the closest recycling plant and see what the recycling process for paper looks like up close and personal.Most are more than willing to share the process and information behind taking scrap paper and making it usable again.The best way to really show people that their efforts matter.However, it is a little faster to learn about the recycling paper process by reading about it.

Nothing can happen in the recycling paper process without one very important element.People willing to make the time and save their paper products are vital to the success of any recycling effort.The entire recycling process starts with you, the consumer, in other words.  Whether you drop your stuff off at the handy recycling bin or have it picked up by a service, the process can’t start until you become a part of it.

Once the mixture makes it to the center, the first step is pulping.  In the recycling process for paper, this means that water is added to large amounts of used paper and agitated to produce pulp.After the paper is sufficiently broken down, the pulp is pushed through a series of screens to separate the larger pieces of contaminants from the useable paper pulp.The somewhat clean paper is then placed in a machine that uses centrifugal cleaning to spin more of the debris from the paper pulp.

The next step in the recycling process for paper is to remove the ink.The water and pulp mixture is treated to a flotation treatment.  Surfactant is added to the mix and it forces the ink to release from the paper and float to the surface for easy removal.The pulp is now ready to be kneaded and broken into fibers further.  The final washing is done with clean water to get rid of any contaminants or particles that is still hanging on.Bleach is added if the paper is intended to be white.

The recycling process for paper is then concluded to form the new, recycled paper into its proper shape and size.As you know, recycled paper and paper products usually bear the recycling logo so you can pick products that were made with environmentally safe techniques.