You have probably already noticed that for many products you now have the choice between recycled and original raw materials. There is now a debate about whether recycled raw materials should be given preference for environmental reasons and with a view to sustainability.

This question is discussed particularly intensively when it comes to recycled paper. Many voices, mainly online, emphasize that recycled paper is always the better choice here.

But is it true? How does recycled paper differ from virgin fiber paper? Is recycled paper suitable for every application? Can it also have disadvantages? We hope we can answer these questions for you in the following article.

What is recycled paper and what role does it play in the market?

Recycled paper is made from paper waste. Paper that has already been used is cleaned in a special manufacturing process and reprocessed into paper. As is generally the case in paper production The decisive factor, as is generally the case in paper production, is the swelling process in water, in which the waste paper residues are broken down into the individual paper fibers.

Basically, the market offers different types of paper. A distinction is made between

• the virgin fiber paper made from cellulose.
• the wood fiber paper obtained largely from domestic wood.
• the two types of recycled paper: The classic recycled paper and the environmental protection paper which is obtained from waste paper and then bleached. The environmental protection paper, which is not further treated on the basis of waste paper.

Classic recycled paper is obtained from waste paper and then bleached. Environmental protection paper, on the other hand, is made from the same raw material, but is not bleached in the production process.

Perhaps, like most people, you associate recycled paper with the

gray, unappealing environmental protection paper. Less well known is that there are also recycled papers that are gently bleached and can have the appearance of virgin fiber paper.

When it comes to the market position of recycled paper, it is worth looking at individual segments. For example, recycled paper plays a very important role in the corrugated board sector. The proportion of recy cled paper has been very high here for at least a decade. Up to 80 percent of corrugated board is recycled from cardboard scraps and cardboard waste.

At the same time, it is worth taking a look at the extent to which recycled paper plays a role in office paper use. Recycled paper currently accounts for around 16 percent of office paper in Germany.

Interestingly, waste paper was already the main raw material in total paper production in 2014, with over 16 million tons. Even then, more than 70 percent of German paper production rested on recovered paper as a raw material. With these figures, the conclusion is obvious that recycled paper is of great economic importance.

The recycling of recovered paper is of great economic importance in the entire paper production process.

What is virgin fiber paper and what role does it play in the market?

Fresh fiber paper is made from pulp. The fibers for this are imported from other parts of the world and in some cases also come from rainforest areas.

Since it has no waste paper components and is bleached by rather aggressive substances such as chlorine, it has an intense white color.

Overall, virgin fiber accounts for a subordinate share as a raw material for paper production. However, this does not mean that the paper industry can currently do without virgin fiber paper completely. For various reasons, the recovered paper quota is not yet so strong that the entire paper production can be based on recovered paper.

The price comparison

General statements on the prices of virgin fiber paper and recycled paper are not permitted. It depends on the respective market situation. One often hears the prejudice that recycled paper is per se more expensive than virgin fiber paper. This cannot be confirmed.

The price issue can also be considered from other points of view. With rising energy prices, the balance can shift even further in favor of recycled paper.

After all, the production of virgin fiber paper uses as much energy as the production of one ton of steel. Likewise, the water consumption for paper made from virgin fibers is much higher than for the production of recycled paper.

Optics and application in comparison

When you think of recycled paper, you may remember the gray toilet paper from the early days of paper recycling. Today, recycled paper is made available in shades that are in no way inferior to other types of paper. This paper is now also available in white.

This disproves the prejudices against recycled paper in terms of appearance. Even the texture is no longer recognizable as recycled at first glance.

Likewise, recycled paper can be used in almost all areas of application that also apply to other types of paper. In particular, the prejudice that recycled paper cannot be archived because of its reduced service life has been disproved. Exceptions arise according to DIN 9706, which recommends virgin fiber paper for long-term archiving.

Recycled paper can also be used with common technical equipment such as printers. This opens up all areas of application for recycled papers for which virgin fiber papers have been preferred up to now.

There are quality differences in recycled papers, as there are in other types of paper. When used with technical equipment such as printers and copiers, care must be taken to ensure that the quality is adequate and that the paper grade is suitable by weight in detail. However, this applies to any paper that is to be used with these devices.

A high pollutant load is often assumed for recycled papers. However, this could not be confirmed for the current recycled papers. On the contrary, the lack of use of strong chemicals for bleaching means that recycled papers are less polluted than virgin fiber papers.

Sustainability of the variants in comparison

What about the environmental balance and sustainability of the different paper grades?

The recycling of waste paper leads to intensive energy savings. The Federal Environment Agency confirms that 60 percent energy and 70 percent water can be saved in the production of recycled paper compared with virgin fiber papers.

Paper fibers can be reused up to seven times, which conserves forest resources. Fresh fiber papers are critical from the point of view of environmental friendliness and sustainability. They often come from wood extracted from endangered virgin forest areas.

By using these papers, we are contributing to the destruction of the original virgin forests. The use of aggressive chemicals in the processing of paper from virgin fibers is also questionable from an environmental point of view.

Recycled paper performs better here because no such chemicals are used in its processing. The quantities required to produce the different types of paper are also interesting in a direct comparison: 1.2 kg of recovered paper is required for one kilogram of recycled paper. This compares with 2.2 kg of wood for the production of virgin fiber paper.

In terms of environmental compatibility and sustainability, paper made from virgin fibers performs worse than recycled paper in comparison.

Conclusion: Advantages and disadvantages of the two variants

At first glance, virgin fiber paper satisfies to a greater extent the impression of pure, white and fresh paper that we maintain out of habit. However, many people have missed the fact that recycled papers today are also of high quality and can no longer necessarily be distinguished by their color.

Paper recycling is now technically advanced and can make much more out of waste paper than the previously familiar gray, recycled paper of brittle quality. It is no coincidence that waste paper is predominantly used as a raw material for the paper industry today.

The trend here is rather upward, since the growth in sales in online retailing, for example, goes hand in hand with an increase in paper and cardboard waste.

Fresh fiber paper from dubious sources can be cheaper than paper recycled here in Germany. We not only pay the respective paper price for this, but also with the accompanying exploitation of nature in other countries.

The bottom line is therefore that paper made from virgin fibers is more expensive than recycled paper. With rising energy prices, it is also to be expected that virgin fiber paper will become significantly more expensive than paper produced from recovered paper.

From a sustainability point of view, everything speaks in favor of recycled paper. Here, on the one hand, the industry is called upon to increase the recovered paper quotas even more. Consumers and all those who consume paper can also set an example by buying more recycled paper.

A drastic shortage in paper supply is not to be expected if even more people opt for recycled paper. Above all, in terms of sustainability and environmental friendliness, there is also the imperative to reduce paper consumption. Whether paper bags, kitchen rolls and napkins need to be used on a large scale is always debatable.

Of course, there are also companies behind these products that want to sell products. It is therefore difficult to make standard statements. However, the current energy crisis could help consumers to increasingly reconsider their own use of paper.

Recycled paper is also rising in price, even if its production uses less energy than paper made from virgin fibers. The increased prices are already making themselves felt. Perhaps you will decide to use recycled paper more in the future because you are convinced of its advantages in terms of sustainability and environmental compatibility.

FAQ

1. Is recycled paper always the better choice?

   From an environmental and sustainability perspective, recycled paper has advantages over paper made from virgin fibers.

2. Could we base our entire paper production on recovered paper?

   The development could go in this direction, as already today 80 percent of the raw materials used in paper production are based on recovered paper. The recovered paper is not yet fully utilized. There will remain some residual areas where paper made from fresh fibers cannot be dispensed with. However, this area could perhaps also be covered by sustainable, domestic wood production.

3. Will the trend toward recycled paper intensify?

   This can be assumed. Consumers and industry players are increasingly positioning themselves in the direction of sustainability and environmental compatibility. This is where recycled paper shines.