Paper-Recycling System: Part 9

Waste paper produced by the paper product manufacture (conversion) is generally recycled either to base paper and board manufacture or to manufacture of special paper products like bobbins. Transportation is needed, however, since the product manufacture and the paper stock manufacture are normally in different locations. A large portion of the waste is lightly printed or unprinted. But also highly printed and composite wastes are generated. The amount of this type of waste is, however, relatively small - only 5% to 6% of the total waste amount. The waste stock is often separated into fairly homogeneous grades by the manufacturers; therefore, the waste material is easy to use for fiber recovery.

Graphic products, newspapers, books, advertisement leaflets, and copy papers are distributed as such, but most paper products (beverage containers, wrapping papers, corrugated board boxes) are distributed with the actual primary product as its package. Packaging and distribution, however, usually produce negligible amounts of waste paper assuming that all the unpacking of the actual products, which produces a significant part of the waste paper currently collected for recycling, is included in the consumption segment of the cycle. In distribution, the weight of the product is the most important factor. On average, the specific weight of the package by volume of the primary product is relatively small.