Why Is Recycling Paper Crucial for Our Environment?
Recycling is defined as a process of converting the non-useful and waste products into new products that are useful for humans in general. Recycling is a great option for saving energy and for conserving the environment as recycling uses much less resources than producing new goods, and thus it is a cost-efficient and eco friendly system.
Recycling is an essential step as the waste that is generated and cannot be degraded by the environment gets converted into something useful and good. Recycling helps in treating waste material and using it to make new products. As recycling helps in getting rid of the waste and non-useful material, it also helps in monitoring air, water, and land pollution alike as the waste is getting recycled, and it is not getting piled up or thrown away in the natural resources.
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Recycling of Paper
As we know that we use paper in each and every part of the work, and at every stage of life, thus paper can be considered as the most used material in the world. Even though technology is gradually replacing paper, it cannot replace the paper entirely so soon. Also, the demand for books and paper is increasing rapidly. Around 400 million metric tons of paper and its products are generated every year. Paper comes from the trees, and the most common trees from where the wood pulp and fibres are extracted to make paper are bamboo, jute, cotton, hemp, and some other plants.
Steps of Recycling Paper
Paper constitutes about 50% of the solid wastes. Many recycling factories have been set up to recycle papers and make various useful paper products in order to meet the need for papers while also protecting the environment.The only materials that can be easily recycled by the reprocessing of waste paper for reuse are papers.
Let's take a look at the various steps involved in paper recycling.
Step-1: The paper from the recycling bins and garbage is collected and placed in large recycling containers where the other contaminants like glass, plastic, and other trash are removed.
Step-2: The paper waste, from the recycling containers, is separated into types and grades at a recycling factory
Step-3: To remove stains of inks, plastic film, staples, and glue, the segregated paper wastes are washed in soapy water.
Step-4: The washed papers are then placed in a big container with water and allowed to mix with the water to form a slurry.
Step-5: Different materials are added to the slurry to make new paper products, such as white paper, cardboard, newspaper, and so on.
Step-6: To make large thin sheets of paper, the produced slurry is transported or spread into large rollers.
Step-7: The papers are then allowed to dry before being rolled up, wrapped, and transported.
Advantages of Recycling Paper
Recycling paper saves energy and also helps in conserving the environment.
The recycling of paper also helps in reducing air, water, and land pollution as the emissions of harmful gasses like methane are not a part of the recycling process, and thus the earth’s atmosphere is saved from being polluted more.
The recycling of paper also helps in decomposing the biodegradable wastes and the hazardous wastes and converting them into useful products.
Summary
Paper recycling refers to the decomposition and recycling of discarded paper to create new paper goods without harming trees or forests. When compared to manufacturing new material from virgin material, paper recycling reduces the demand for raw resources, requires less energy, and helps to reduce pollution. It is possible to recycle paper that has not been polluted with food or grease.
FAQs on Recycling of Paper: Steps and Importance
1. What is the principle of recycling paper?
The principle of recycling paper is to convert waste paper into new, usable paper products. This process involves collecting, cleaning, and processing used paper to break it down into fibres, which are then used to manufacture new paper. It is a key part of waste management that helps conserve natural resources like trees, save energy, and reduce pollution.
2. What are the main steps involved in the industrial process of recycling paper?
The industrial recycling of paper generally follows these key steps:
- Collection and Sorting: Waste paper is collected from homes and businesses and then sorted at a facility to separate it into different grades and remove contaminants like plastic or glass.
- Washing and De-inking: The sorted paper is washed with soapy water to remove inks, staples, and glues.
- Pulping: The clean paper is mixed with water in a large vat to create a slurry called pulp.
- Refining and Screening: The pulp is refined, screened, and sometimes bleached to prepare it for papermaking.
- Papermaking: The pulp slurry is spread onto large screens, where water drains away, and the fibres bond together. It is then pressed, dried, and rolled into large sheets of new paper.
3. Why is it important to recycle paper?
Recycling paper is crucial for several environmental and economic reasons. It significantly reduces the number of trees cut down, conserving our forests and biodiversity. The process also uses less energy and water compared to producing virgin paper. Furthermore, it helps decrease landfill waste, which in turn reduces the emission of harmful greenhouse gases like methane that are released when paper decomposes.
4. What types of paper products can typically be recycled?
Most common paper and cardboard products can be recycled, provided they are clean and dry. Examples include:
- Newspapers, magazines, and office paper
- Cardboard and cardboard boxes
- Junk mail and envelopes
- Paper bags and paperboard (like cereal boxes)
However, paper contaminated with food, grease (like pizza boxes), or wax, as well as items like paper towels and napkins, generally cannot be recycled.
5. Why can a single piece of paper not be recycled indefinitely?
A single piece of paper cannot be recycled indefinitely because the recycling process shortens the paper's fibres. Each time paper is pulped and re-formed, the cellulose fibres become weaker and shorter. After being recycled approximately 5-7 times, these fibres become too short to properly bond together to create a new, strong sheet of paper. To counteract this, new (virgin) fibres are often mixed in with the recycled fibres to maintain the quality and strength of the final product.
6. How does recycling paper help in reducing air and water pollution?
Recycling paper helps reduce pollution in two key ways. For air pollution, it reduces the amount of paper sent to landfills. When paper decomposes in a landfill, it releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. By recycling, we prevent this emission. For water pollution, manufacturing paper from virgin wood often uses chlorine-based bleaches and other chemicals, which can be released into waterways. The recycling process requires fewer chemicals, thus reducing water contamination.
7. What is the difference between recycling paper and composting it?
The key difference lies in the end product. Recycling is a manufacturing process that turns old paper back into new paper products by reclaiming the paper fibres for reuse. Composting, on the other hand, is a biological process where organic materials, including certain types of paper like shredded newspaper or paper towels, are broken down by microorganisms into a nutrient-rich soil amendment called compost. While recycling reclaims material value, composting returns organic matter to the soil.
8. How is paper recycling related to the '3Rs' of waste management?
Paper recycling is a fundamental part of the '3Rs' principle: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
- Reduce: The first goal is to reduce paper consumption altogether (e.g., by printing double-sided).
- Reuse: This involves using a paper product again for its original or a new purpose before discarding it (e.g., using the blank side of a printed sheet for notes).
- Recycle: This is the final step for paper that cannot be reduced or reused. It ensures the material is reprocessed to create a new product, closing the loop and minimising waste.
