Rationale for recycling Paper recycling

1 rationale recycling

1.1 energy
1.2 landfill use
1.3 water , air pollution

rationale recycling

industrialized paper making has effect on environment both upstream (where raw materials acquired , processed) , downstream (waste-disposal impacts).

today, 40% of paper pulp created wood (in modern mills 9-16% of pulp made pulp logs; rest comes waste wood traditionally burnt). paper production accounts 35% of felled trees, , represents 1.2% of world s total economic output. recycling 1 ton of newsprint saves 1 ton of wood while recycling 1 ton of printing or copier paper saves more 2 tons of wood. because kraft pulping requires twice wood since removes lignin produce higher quality fibres mechanical pulping processes. relating tons of paper recycled number of trees not cut meaningless, since tree size varies tremendously , major factor in how paper can made how many trees. trees raised pulp production account 16% of world pulp production, old growth forests 9% , second- , third- , more generation forests account balance. pulp mill operators practice reforestation ensure continuing supply of trees. programme endorsement of forest certification (pefc) , forest stewardship council (fsc) certify paper made trees harvested according guidelines meant ensure forestry practices. has been estimated recycling half world’s paper avoid harvesting of 20 million acres (81,000 km²) of forestland.

energy

energy consumption reduced recycling, although there debate concerning actual energy savings realized. energy information administration claims 40% reduction in energy when paper recycled versus paper made unrecycled pulp, while bureau of international recycling (bir) claims 64% reduction. calculations show recycling 1 ton of newspaper saves 4,000 kwh (14 gj) of electricity, although may high (see comments below on unrecycled pulp). enough electricity power 3-bedroom european house entire year, or enough energy heat , air-condition average north american home 6 months. recycling paper make pulp consumes more fossil fuels making new pulp via kraft process; these mills generate of energy burning waste wood (bark, roots, sawmill waste) , byproduct lignin (black liquor). pulp mills producing new mechanical pulp use large amounts of energy; rough estimate of electrical energy needed 10 gigajoules per tonne of pulp (2500 kw·h per short ton).

landfill use

about 35% of municipal solid waste (before recycling) in united states weight paper , paper products. 42.4% of recycled.

water , air pollution

the united states environmental protection agency (epa) has found recycling causes 35% less water pollution , 74% less air pollution making virgin paper. pulp mills can sources of both air , water pollution, if producing bleached pulp. modern mills produce considerably less pollution of few decades ago. recycling paper decreases demand virgin pulp, reducing overall amount of air , water pollution associated paper manufacture. recycled pulp can bleached same chemicals used bleach virgin pulp, hydrogen peroxide , sodium hydrosulfite common bleaching agents. recycled pulp, or paper made it, known pcf (process chlorine free) if no chlorine-containing compounds used in recycling process. however, recycling mills may have polluting by-products sludge. de-inking @ cross pointe s miami, ohio mill results in sludge weighing 22% of weight of wastepaper recycled.