This is how the mechanical processing of recovered paper works. The figures prove it: paper is one of the goods with the highest demand in Germany. In purely arithmetical terms, just under 220 kg of paper, cardboard and carton were consumed per capita in 2020. 

This includes both consumption in private households and in the commercial sector. According to surveys by Intectus (an engineering and consulting company for waste management), the amount of paper consumed annually in private households is around 105 kg per capita. Taken together, this corresponds to a total consumption of 18.3 million tons of paper.

Very important in this context is recovered paper processing. This is also reflected in the figures: municipal and private waste management companies collected around 14.7 million tons of recovered paper in the same period. Based on the year 2020, this results in a recovered paper return rate of just under 80 percent.

By comparison, in 1990 the paper industry used just 49 percent recovered paper. Thanks to the significant increase of around 30 percent, the consumption of water, wood and primary energy per ton of paper was reduced at the same time. The recycling of recovered paper enjoys a correspondingly high priority.

This is how the German paper industry is positioned in terms of recycling

In the past 20 years alone, the German paper industry has increased its use of recovered paper by a total of 18 percent. This is not only an important success factor as an economic parameter, but also provides us with an additional significant side effect.

Thanks to this increase, the German-based paper industry has been able to significantly reduce the specific environmental impact caused by production and transport, for example. But: In the future, it will be more difficult to increase the high use rate of recovered paper even further.

This is primarily due to the ever increasing digitization and the associated decline in demand for graphic papers with a simultaneous increase in papers for packaging. This is currently particularly noticeable in the production of sanitary papers.

According to current figures, the use of recovered paper in the production of what are known as hygiene papers has fallen to below 50 percent. This is due to the shortage of white recovered papers, which is the result of a decline in graphic papers due to digitization.

 

Falling demand for graphic papers as a critical factor for success

If demand for graphic papers cannot be increased again in the future, recovered paper will become a scarce raw material in the next few years. The problem here is that the market for sanitary papers in particular has growth potential, while the digital transformation is pushing classic stationery and printed products further and further to the sidelines.

However, fibers made from sanitary papers are available after the single use

are no longer available for further reprocessing. These papers are not recycled products. The actual situation is completely different for the production of newsprint and corrugated base paper.

Statistically, for example, more than 100 percent recovered paper was used in this sector in 2020. The reason for this oversized use rate is sorting residues and contaminated fibers that are separated during sorting and further process steps.

To a small extent, paper fibers are also lost in the process. This means that up to 20 percent more raw material (including non-paper components) is used in production. If you put total paper consumption in relation to waste paper consumption, the result is a waste paper recovery rate of between 85 and 90 percent based on the past years. In 2020, the German paper industry even achieved a recycling rate of 93 percent.

Basis for efficient recycling + the separate collection of waste paper

Before new paper can be made from waste paper, it goes through several process steps. The prerequisites for subsequent recycling are already laid in the first phase: through the best possible area-wide collection of the most varied types.

Organizationally and structurally, the collection of waste paper touches all areas of private consumption and the economy. In addition to municipal waste disposal companies, private waste disposal companies and now also associations and organizations collect waste paper from the commercial sector, private households, public authorities and paper processing on their own initiative or in some cases on behalf of customers.

 

The individual sectors differ in terms of their respective collection volumes. Around 50 percent of waste paper comes from the commercial sector, while household collection accounts for around 40 percent. Only ten percent comes directly from paper processing.

 

Collection systems have different strengths and weaknesses

The basis for separate collection is formed by a network of collection systems with empty, special, or large containers, commercial collection points, and a collection system consisting of recycling centers. Both private individuals and businesses can dispose of their waste paper and other recyclable materials at these points.

The individual collection systems differ greatly in terms of the quality of the recyclable paper, the purity of the grades, the respective logistics and collection costs, and the convenience of service and support.

The basic rule here is: Bring systems lead to better paper qualities, while pick-up systems offer greater convenience. However, the latter is also associated with higher costs.

Regional and legal specifications must be taken into account

When evaluating the individual systems, you should always take into account the regional conditions, the legal requirements regarding the obligation to tender, and the economic and social goals of the respective collection.

It is apparent, for example, that the trends and developments for the systems in Germany present themselves inconsistently from state to state. However, the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act now ensures that concepts and procedures can be implemented throughout Germany.

Collection systems for waste paper also differ on the basis of their legal foundation. Within the framework of the household collection of waste paper, for example, there is an obligation to tender. Therefore, collections of this kind are preferably organized at the municipal level.

This, in turn, is mainly done via the collection system in the form of a so-called " Umleersammlung " (here: blue garbage can). Waste paper is also accepted at recycling centers run by municipal waste disposal companies. In a nationwide comparison, municipal recycling centers are a widespread collection system, especially in southern Germany.

Commercial and household collections - these are the key points

Collections of a commercial nature can be found in all areas away from households or not subject to mandatory delivery. The paper bank or similar collection systems, which compensate citizens for the delivery of newspapers and magazines in a form comparable to the SERO system, are increasingly coming into focus here.

The basic rule here is that any kind of waste paper collection must be carried out in the

The collection of recyclable materials must be registered within the framework of the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act. In the case of collections of other recyclable materials, difficulties sometimes arise, particularly in the municipal collection areas.

Industry experts attribute this lack of clarity to the clear demarcation between the obligation to offer and dispose of waste and recycling. In contrast, there are no problems here with commercial waste paper collections, as there are clearly defined dividing lines between separate collection and recovery.

If, on the other hand, the collection is close to households, the recycling project benefits from equal waste generation points and also from the area-wide shared use by the dual systems.

Paper packaging that is subject to mandatory return is collected at the same time and then recycled accordingly. The disposal companies then settle the costs incurred for this with the dual systems.

Waste paper is sorted according to clearly defined standards and qualities

Careful sorting enables printing and packaging papers to be separated and foreign or contaminating materials to be sorted out. Mechanical and opto-electronic processes are used to implement sorting. As a rule, the two processes are combined by the plant operators and additionally supplemented by manual sorting.

The basis for this is the list of European standard grades and correspondingly defined qualities (CEPI/B.I.R). This list describes the content of the individual standard grades and clearly defines the permitted material and substance composition.

This is how the machine processing of waste paper works

Once sorting is complete, the waste paper is then further processed on its way to recycled paper by often voluminous reprocessing plants. The reprocessing plants for recovered paper used in Germany generally always work according to the same principle, regardless of the manufacturer. We have listed the key points for you below:

1. During the first process step, the recovered paper is fed into the pulper. The appearance and functioning of such a pulper resemble a Type stirring tub with integrated kitchen mixer in large format.

   Here, the waste paper is first shredded and defibered. The machine is additionally equipped with components and mechanisms for waste removal. The addition of water then produces a waste paper fiber pulp, which is removed by means of screening devices.

2. As part of further process steps, the preparation plant sorts and cleans the waste paper processed into pulp. The waste paper fiber pulp can then be thickened.
   
   
3. Manufacturers of graphic papers must also ensure the highest possible degree of whiteness. To ensure this, the deinking process is used in this case.

   This ensures that the printing inks are separated by adding certain chemicals to the water or waste paper pulp. Many paper manufacturers rely on special deinking machines for this purpose. Alternatively, combined deinking and stock preparation systems can also be used.

   This process is usually followed by dispersion. This means that dirt specks that have not been discharged are comminuted below the visibility limit. Depending on the application, however, the fibers can also be ground. In this case you speak of fractionation.

4. Ultimately, the preparation process produces a recovered paper pulp. Depending on the subsequent use of the new paper, manufacturers mix the recovered paper pul p with other fibrous materials or with various fillers and additives. For this purpose, the finished recovered paper is fed into the mixing vat and, after mixing of the materials, is available for the production of new paper.

In Germany, waste paper processing always works according to the same basic principle.