collecting waste

Material is collected through a variety of methods ranging from hand collection of sacks to large open top containers and compactor bins. Once collected, the material is taken to a recycling facility where it is cleaned, sorted into various grades and press packed into bale sizes that are acceptable to a mill (typically ½ or 1 tonne).

Material that is detrimental to the repulping process, such as metals, oil, some adhesives, plastics, wax and bitumen coated papers must be removed before baling can take place. This all adds to the recovery cost. Paper mills make a quality assessment of incoming raw material, and non-pulpable inclusions would lead to the material being rejected.

Organisations and sites that generate vast amounts of cardboard and paper may install their own baling equipment- in which case the bales would be collected and, according to size and amount, sent straight to the mill or back to a recycling facility for rebaling.

The ongoing development of new technology by the mill industry continues to increase demand for greater supplies of clean waste paper. Waste paper is a commodity internationally traded and subject to market conditions.