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ON THE PAPER TRAIL
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On thepaper trail
Paper recovery in South Africa is at 70%. Can we aim higher?
Paper was invented in China in 105AD by court official Tsai Lun, who combined tree bark, hemp, fishing nets and old rags together with water and pounded this into a pulp and hung the resultant thin matted sheet in the sun to dry.
Recycling of paper involves several steps – the first, and arguably the most important, is the separation of waste paper from other refuse in homes, schools and offices. The next step is the collection of the waste paper by the waste company or informal pickers. Next up is the sale to the buyback centre or sorting facility where the different “grades” – for example newspapers, magazines, white paper, cardboard boxes, paper grocery bags, paper cups or milk and juice cartons, and mixed paper – are sorted into bales.
Water is then added to a bale of paper to make a slurry. The type of recycled paper being made will determine what grade of paper is used to make the slurry. The slurry is then passed through a screen, which is a sieve-like machine used to remove contaminants, and then is fed into a paper machine where the damp paper is rolled into giant reels.
The final step in the process is where the jumbo rolls are sent to a converter to be made into the desired type of paper.
SA has averaged a 70% paper collection rate since 2017, which saves valuable waste landfill space.
More effort needs to go towards the recovery of waste paper in all sectors. Home offices have become the norm since the onset of the pandemic, and with so many children now being home schooled, the use of paper and the generation of waste paper has increased. There are many schools that generate an income from waste paper donated by scholars and their families.
The Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) lives and breathes all things paper. PAMSA is interested in all facets of paper, paper production and recycling. The Association has an interest in education, environmental matters, research and recycling, and focus of the pulp and paper sector within South Africa. The recycling arm of PAMSA is RecyclePaperZA, and it supports and drives the recycling initiative.
There are recycling hubs in most cities, and the informal pickers – who themselves earn an income from recycling – ensure that for the average household there are several avenues to pursue to recycle waste paper, and ensure does not become part of the waste burden in a landfill.
The question is: are you doing your part? �
