Can ANY paper be recycled?

Question

I feel guilty throwing away old lecture notes. Xerox paper and notebook paper...can these be recycled?

Answer 1

yes

Answer 2

no not toilet paper... i don't think i would use that twice...lol...

Answer 3

Paper recycling is the process of recovering waste paper and remaking it into new paper products. There are three categories of paper that can be used as feedstocks for making recycled paper: mill broke, pre-consumer waste, and post-consumer waste.[1] Mill broke is paper trimmings and other paper scrap from the manufacture of paper, and is recycled internally in a paper mill. Pre-consumer waste is material that was discarded before it was ready for consumer use. Post-consumer waste is material discarded after consumer use, including OMG (old magazines), OTD (old telephone directories), and RMP (residential mixed paper). Paper suitable for recycling is called "scrap paper".

While there are differences depending on the specific type of paper being recycled (corrugated fiberboard, newspaper, mixed office waste), recycling processes include the following steps:

Pulping: Adding water and applying mechanical action to separate fibers from each other.

Screening: Using screens, with either slots or holes, to remove contaminants that are larger than pulp fibers.

Centrifugal cleaning: Spinning the pulp slurry in a cleaner causes materials that are more dense than pulp fibers to move outward and be rejected.

Flotation: Passing air bubbles through the pulp slurry, with a surfactant present, causes ink particles to collect with the foam on the surface. By removing contaminated foam, pulp is made brighter. This step is sometimes called deinking.

Kneading or dispersion: Mechanical action is applied to fragment contaminant particles.

Washing: Small particles are removed by passing water through the pulp.

Bleaching: If white paper is desired, bleaching uses peroxides or hydrosulfites to remove color from the pulp.

Papermaking: The clean (and/or bleached) fiber is made into a "new" paper product in the same way that virgin paper is made.

Dissolved air flotation: Process water is cleaned for reuse.

Waste disposal: The unusable material left over, mainly ink, plastics, filler and short fibers, is called sludge. The sludge is buried in a landfill, burned to create energy at the paper mill or used as a fertilizer by local farmers.

In the mid-19th century, there was an increased demand for books and writing material. Up to this time, paper manufacturers had used discarded linen rags for paper, but supply could not keep up with the increased demand. Books were bought at auctions for the purpose of recycling fiber content into new paper, at least in the United Kingdom, by the beginning of the 19th century.[28]

Internationally, about half of all recovered paper comes from converting losses ("pre-consumer" recycling), such as shavings and unsold periodicals; approximately one third comes from household or "post-consumer" waste.[29]

Some statistics on paper consumption:

The average per capita paper use in the USA in 2001 was 700 pounds (318 kg). The average per capita paper use worldwide was 110 pounds (50 kg).[30]

It is estimated that 95% of business information is still stored on paper. [Source: International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) Discussion Paper (IIED, London, September 1996)]

Although paper is traditionally identified with reading and writing, communications has now been replaced by packaging as the single largest category of paper use at 41% of all paper used. [Source: North American Factbook PPI, 1995. (Figures are for 1993)]

115 billion sheets of paper are used annually for personal computers [Source: Worldwatch Institute]. The average daily web user prints 28 pages daily [Source: Gartner group and HP]

Most corrugated fiberboard boxes have over 25% recycled fibers. Some are 100% recycled fiber

Answer 4

Yes, those papers can be recycle or if you have blank print paper on your laptop/computer, go to Print, then select print both sides, so you wouldn't waste papers.

Only papers that cannot be recycle is tissue, paper towels, napkins because they're soft.

Answer 5

Yes, depending on where you live there are usually sources to accept Newspapers, office paper, etc. for recycling. Some will pay so much per pound, others for donations. Waste Management Companies, your local counties often have recycle centers, etc. For government operated landfills, if there is not a drop off location, sometimes recycle boxes (Plastic Blue or Green Tubs usually) are available for curbside pickups on a weekly basis. They often accept glass, newspapers, phone books, aluminum cans, etc.

Answer 6

Yes of course, you might need to separate the different types of paper though.

Answer 7

YES all papers a recyclable with the exception of WAXED CARDBOARD boxes,in some areas even the soft papers like napkins and paper towels are recycled but placed into compost facilities.Don't throw any of your papers away but throw them into the blue box or whatever you call it were you are