Andrew Horning, Grade 8, Greenwich

What Are The Recycled Products?

While dividing my research section into several smaller sections, mainly dealing with the different recycled paper products used in schools.  Initial research revealed some of the types of products made from recycled paper, I found Available Recycled Paper Products, which contained a list of recyclable paper products. Computer paper, binders, dividers, folders, lined paper, books, journals, food service containers, napkins, and tissues were included.  Sadly all of these products are found in schools and are often not recycled.

As research continued I found a pie chart at Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) that showed how much of each material makes up the MSW.  I was shocked to find that paper made up the largest portion by far, almost 35.5%, which that means that if we just started recycling all paper we would eliminate 35.5% of our MSW. That would save a priceless amount of our land from becoming mounds of garbage. It would provide room for more housing, sports fields, public gardens, and parks. Seeing this, it would be almost foolish to ignore it when the solution is so simple.

Also found was Paper Recycling where I took notes on sanitary issues such as de-inking. There are 3 major de-inking processes the processes are as follows: (1) Washing as paper is pulped, chemicals can be added which separate the ink from the paper and allow it to be washed away.  (2) Flotation air is passed through pulp, producing foam which the ink will stick to and rise to the surface.  (3) Centrifugal Cleaning ink particles and fibers (paper) are different masses so when put in centrifugal motion they will separate. (*note: process (3) was from the email reply from eric.infante@sca.com.)  Biodegradable chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide can be used, which breaks down into water and oxygen on disposal. This would prevent harmful chemicals from leaking into the environment.

I collected this information while awaiting a response to the email that had been sent to eric.infante@sca.com. Eric Infante is the computer specialist at SCA, a paper mill/paper processor that our class at Greenwich Central School visited on a field trip. He introduced us to his fellow employees Barb Hemken and Steve Duell, the recycling experts at SCA.  They were able to confirm the recycled paper products and told us that the price of recycled paper compared to virgin paper (fresh, new paper) depended more on the supplier than on “rule of thumb”. Mr. Duell also shared some of his knowledge about the recycling process and de-inking. He said that some of the processes are actually similar to a clothes washing process. Mr. Duell also let us know that while the water levels used in both virgin and recycled paper are very high, one is not necessarily more than the other. However, a lot of the water used in both processes is cleaned and reused.

After researching recycling for several weeks our class has found that not only is it environmentally beneficial, but will also save us huge quantities of oil and electricity, oil use being under much controversy because of its extreme prices. The recycled paper is clean and sanitary, the process (depending on the plant and money put into it) is environmentally safe, and in the overall scope of things, could potentially reduce our oil problems drastically, and save a large portion of electricity. Helping recycle can and will make our world a healthier and better place.