4. Why do we sort waste paper?

It is necessary to remove materials not suitable for repulping, like contaminates. In a perfect world collected waste paper would be contaminate free. However, realistically there will be a certain amount of contaminate e.g. string, paper clips, plastics, waxed paper, paper with non-soluble glue etc.

Very slight amounts of contaminates can be acceptable, depending on what the contaminate is. However, too much contaminate will lead to the bale being unacceptable to the mill.

5. Sometimes we are asked to put different types of paper into different containers, why is this?

Manufacturing mills that use waste paper require certain quality and grades of paper that have been found to be suitable for manufacturing different products.

It makes economic sense to separate high quality grades out. Paper is further sorted back at the Materials Recycling Facility. There are over 50 grades of waste paper divided into 11 groups. These groups cover material that can be used for recycled newsprint, tissues and industrial wipes, stationary and packaging.

6. Why is waste paper baled?

After the paper has been de-contaminated and sorted into grades it goes into a baling press that produces bales that are at least ½ tonne in weight. This is to make the paper easier to handle by forklift and bale clamp trucks. The bales are then stored or transported, straight to the mill. 

7. What do recyclers mean when they are referring to Corrugated Case Materials?

Simply put, Cardboard. A material known as 'corrugated board' is made by a conversion process in which 3 or more layers of paper (or paperboard) are laminated together. The middle ply, which is called fluting, is corrugated during the process and the outer layers, called the liners, are glued to its peaks, thus making a liner-fluting-liner sandwich.