When it comes to recycling, there are many materials that can be taken through the process to create new, clean products. We have already looked at glass, paper, plastic and metal recycling, and now we bring cardboard to your attention.
In this article, we will discuss the process of cardboard recycling to inform you about how it works. As always, if you have any questions relating to the information provided, or would like to find out about our recycling services, please feel free to contact us today.
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The Process
So, how does the process work? It’s really quite simple and only involves five main steps:
Step 1 – Collection
As with every form of recycling, your waste first needs to be collected. This will be provided by your chosen recycling firm, where they will collect your waste and deliver it to a relevant recycling centre.
Step 2 – Sorting
Once it arrives at the recycling centre, your waste will be sorted by type of material, whether that be typical cardboard or boxboard, which is usually used to make cereal boxes and cardboard drink containers. The sorting stage is important as paper mills manufacture different grades of materials depending on which materials are being recovered.
Step 3 – Shredding
Shredding takes place in order to break down cardboard paper fibres into smaller pieces, where it is then mixed with chemicals and water to break down even further, into what is known as a ‘slurry substance’.
From there, the new substance is blended with new pulp, most likely from wood chips, to help the substance solidify and become firmer.
Step 4 – Filtering and Cleaning
The pulpy material formed in the shredding stage is then taken through a comprehensive filtering process in order to remove any foreign materials that may be present, along with any other impurities like tape, glue or strings. After this, the material is placed in a chamber which removes all contaminants such as metal staples through a centrifuge-like process.
Step 5 – Reconstruction for Reuse
Finally, we have the reconstruction process. At this stage all the new, clean materials are laid out to dry on a flat conveyor belt and heated cylindrical surfaces. While the pulp is drying, it is sent through an automated machine which presses out any excess water and facilitates the formation of long rolls of solid sheet from the fibers know as mediums and linerboards. The linerboards are then glued together, layer by layer, to make a brand new piece of cardboard.
How Can We Help?
Global Office Supplies specialise in cutting down costs on the products your office consumes on a daily basis. As well as this, we offer excellent recycling services to help companies lead the way towards their green energy targets and help turn their office into an eco-friendly working environment.
We can collect a wide range of materials such as glass, plastic, toner cartridges and cardboard and we can also offer our own eco-friendly toner cartridges to help you restock once you have sent your old ones off for recycling without harming the environment.
Please feel free to get in touch for more information
