Does recycling paper cause harmful dioxins?

Question

I've heard many conflicting reports as whether its better sourcing sustainably managed forests for the production of paper or recycling old paper to create new paper.

Apparently recycling paper creates dioxins which need to be "stored" in lead pits as there's no way of getting rid of dioxins. This seems to be incredibly harmful to the earth - in a way, a bit like storing nuclear waste deep in the earth, hoping it won't damage anything/anyone.

Can anyone shed any light?

Answer 1

I'm not sure if recycling releases dioxins but pulping wood to make paper also uses dioxins.

Answer 2

Dioxin isn't only incredibly dangerous for the earth as a whole, it (in general) can kill you, the individual human being.  Dioxin is extremely unstable because of it's peroxide-like characteristics and because other things (such as chlorine) bind easily to it thereby creating chemical compounds that accumulate in the fat of humans and wildlife in the form of carcinogens...that's cancer.

However, dioxin is not present in recycled paper...sorry.

Answer 3

I never heard any such thing.

Answer 4

There are many conflicting reports, but in my mind it is clear. All the evidence points that recycling paper uses less energy than making paper from wood. And by recycling you reduce the amount of waste needing disposing.

Paper making is energy intensive - how ever it is done, but Waste Watch say that “recycled paper produces fewer polluting emissions to air and water”.

When paper is recycled, is generally bleached with oxygen. Any other source of pollution (such as the dioxins mentioned) can only come from what is already in the paper.

In the past, heavy metals, as well as dioxins, have been found in the effluent from recycled paper - but this generally came from the inks that have been used. Newer inks, and water based inks are becomming more common, do not have this problem. And it is not the recycling process that produces this pollution - it is the printing process. Even if not recycled, these heavy metals would be in the environment.

Finally, recycling is only part of the solution. It would be far better if we used less paper (recycled, or otherwise) in the first place. And when we do use paper, to make sure we use it sensibly - check for spelling before printing out, use both sides, print with environment friendly inks, and keep contamination out of the recycling bins.

Answer 5

you are right, it causes the harmful dioxins. so that is why i more believe we must use paper to the full extent so that we don't need to recycle paper antmore

Answer 6

It's because when you process the recycled paper you have to bleach it to clean it and make it white again.  The bleaching creates TCDD (tetrachloro dioxins) as a minor by-product.  The same thing happens when you incinerate garbage, you generate some TCDDs.  

The link below is from the Sierra Club, it just happened to be the first one that popped up when I googled some string to get a reference for you.  If the thought of reading anything from the Sierra Club makes you gag, google "paper dioxin bleach" and you will get lots of info from other sources.

Answer 7

I think anything man-made (whether it came from nature or not) can cause dioxins of any level.  It's over-rated if you ask me.  I'm not saying it's safe, but the whole dioxin thing to me sounds like another gimmick companies use to get you to get scared into buying their "harm-free" products.

Answer 8

it isn't harmful if you would recycle it physically (like making it a mache or using it as a material for mosaic). why would the government endorse recycling papers if it is harmful?