How to Recycle

Wastepaper

The Paper Recycling Committee

The Paper Recycling Committee of the American Paper Institute is a national organization, whose objective is to assure an adequate supply of good quality waste paper for manufacturers of paper, paperboard and other products, who depend on waste paper as a raw material. The American Paper Institute is the national trade association representing more than 175 manufacturers of pulp, paper and paperboard - one of America’s ten largest industries.

The Committee has been active since World War I1 in developing methods to improve the quality of waste paper and to promote more efficient col- lecting, processing, transporting and storing tech- niques for waste paper. Activities of the Committee include educational and communications programs on recycling directed to the nation’s waste paper dealers, government officials at all levels, related industries and the general public.

The purpose of this booklet is to describe how to establish collection programs for old newspapers, used corrugated boxes and high grade office papers for recycling. Collection programs can be organized by municipalities, civic and charitable organizations, private trash haulers, individuals owning pick-up trucks, and businesses including retail stores, super- markets, factories and office buildings.

American Paper Institute, Inc. Paper Recycling Committee 260 Madlson Avenue, New York. N.Y. 10016/(212) 340 O h 0 0

The text of this brochure is pnnted on paper containing recycled fibers. COPYRIGHT 0 1990, Amencan Paper Institute, Iiic

Recycling Old Newspapers

When most Americans think about paper recycling, they think about old newspapers - and with good reason. Each week the average urban or suburban household gets 20 to 30 pounds of newspapers which can be recycled into new products. These include: paperboard packaging for foods, household and other consumer items, newsprint and construction and building materials.

Unfortunately, only 35 percent of the newspapers consumed in this country are recycled. Sometimes that figure falls short of the volume needed and sometimes collections exceed demand at recycling mills.

In Sun City, Arizona, for example, a group of six Lions Clubs has banded together to operate a collection program for the community’s 55,000 residents. The Lions Clubs earned more than $8,000 per month, which goes to support local and national charities, as well as to finance Lions Club group activities.

By establishing a newspaper collection program, you can help make a second use of valuable resources and also reduce the volume of solid waste disposed of in already overburdened landfills. Prior to starting a collection program for any grade of waste paper you must first establish a market for the paper to be collected. Waste paper dealers, those who buy waste paper from collectors, are listed in the yellow pages under “waste paper.” Recycling centers, which often ask residents to donate recyclable materials, are usually listed in the yellow pages under “recycling.”

The following section describes how to organize a newspaper recycling program for both citizen groups and municipalities.

How Citizen Groups Organize a Paper Drive

This guide to organizing paper drives, based on experience gained by thousands of groups around the country, includes the basic information needed to start a program. Your organization should look for ways to add to these basics to make your newspaper drive more effective.

Step 1. Establish a market for your old newspapers

Before starting a program, contact a waste paper dealer to determine if he will buy old newspapers in your area and how much he will pay for them. Dealers are listed in the Yellow Pages under "Waste Paper." Waste paper deal- ers, who buy old newspapers and process them for shipment to the recycling mills, are a key link in the paper recycling chain. They can usu- ally tell you in advance how much they will pay for old newspapers and what the outlook is for future sales.

Because there may be more than one dealer in your area, you should contact several to get a better picture of the local demand for old news- papers and to obtain the best quotes on prices. Depending on the size of your group and the type of program you are planning, you might be able to arrange a long term agreement with the waste paper dealer for your paper. Above all, establish a good relationship with your waste paper dealer-as he can provide valuable as- sistance in organizing your program.

Step 2. Motivate your group Encouraging the participation of your fellow

group members is the next step. Paper drives need the full support of volunteers because col- lecting paper takes time and often requires weekend work. Your group leader should ap- point an organization committee to enlist the help of various members. A small committee usually works best, but all final plans for the drive should be presented to the entire group for approval before proceeding.

Step 3. Define your collection area

It is best to test your collection program in a small area to work out any problems. Then the paper drive can be expanded accordingly into other areas or neighborhoods.

The organization committee should deter- mine the initial collection area by working from a zoning map of your city (usually obtainable from the City or County Engineer's Office). This map will show streets and individual lots and can give you a sense of the population in the collection area. Your dealer might also help out- line the collection area, determine the method to use and estimate the volume of paper you can expect to collect.

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Step 4. Choose the right collection method

There are two types of collection methods your group can use: 1. CURBSIDE, in which collection teams pick up papers left on the curb by residents; 2. CENTRAL SITE, in which resi- dents bring their papers to a convenient central location (examples include churches, syn- agogues, schools or city hall parking lots), to be unloaded by your collection teams. The method you use will depend on the number of volun- teers, the type of equipment (cars, trucks, dump bins, etc.) you are able to obtain and the size of your collection area.

Central site collections require fewer people and less equipment than residential. Waste pa- per dealers frequently supply a large bin, con- tainer or trailer in which to load papers brought to the central site. Curbside collections require less citizen participation because residents need only to bundle their papers and place them at the curb. However, curbside collections require greater participation from your group members.

Step 5. Assign collection teams & equipment

Once the area and method of collection are established, divide the area into roughly equal sections. The organization committee should as- sign a collection team and appropriate equip- ment to each section.

Curbside collections call for vehicles to drive down each street within an assigned area to collect paper. Pick-up trucks or panel vans are ideal for this type of program, but station wagons and automobiles are also suitable.

Central site collections require one large container, bin or truck. In most cases, vehicles can be provided by the dealer. If not, a local rental agency or trucking firm may be willing to donate the needed equipment as a public service.

Group members unload the papers from the vehicles and stack them in the large con- tainers. Manpower assignments will depend on the volume of paper you expect to collect. You are likely to take in less paper on weekly drives than on monthly drives, so adjust your man- power needs as you go along.

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Step 6. Publicity Once the program is fully organized, inform

the residents in the collection area that they should save their old newspapers for the up- coming paper drive. The type of publicity cam- paign mounted to accomplish this objective depends on the size of the collection area and the frequency of the paper drives.

If you expect to cover at least one third of the city, you probably can expect some cooper- ation from news media in the form of news- paper articles and, perhaps, public service television and radio announcements. If your collection area is smaller, take your request di- rectly to the residents via handbills delivered to each home.

Regardless of your situation, allow at least one month between the first announcement of your drive and your,initial collection date-to enable residents to begin separating and storing their old newspapers.

The heart of any publicity program is a news release, which tells the “who, what, when, where and why” about the recycling program. The release should include relevant information about the program and the name of your group’s recycling project chairman in case addi- tional information is needed.

Once completed, the release should be sent to appropriate editors or reporters at every newspaper, magazine and radio and television station in your collection area. (Note: If you don’t know to whom the release should be sent, call the publication or station.) Television and radio stations might consider using your re- leases as public service announcements or as part of a “community bulletin board” portion of programming.

Your first release will announce the forma- tion and launching of your paper drive, but col- lection reminder releases should be sent on a weekly or monthly basis, as appropriate.

Taking your message directly to the resi- dents is also very effective. Leave a notice at each house that will serve as a constant re- minder. Fliers, doorknob hangers and storefront ~ - window posters are easy to produce.

All printed materials should include the name of your group, the date of the collection, the place (if you are using the central site method), the types of papers being collected and how they should be bundled (string tied or folded in old grocery bags). Items not to be in- cluded with the old newspapers and a tele- phone number residents can call for information, should also be included in the publicity material.

If possible, your group should circulate the fliers and hangers on a regular basis for the first three or four collections. This will help residents get into the “recycling habit.”

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The Contamination Problem

To obtain the highest value for the old newspapers your group collects, the papers must be kept clean, dry and out of direct sun- light. Waste paper dealers will reduce the amount paid if the papers are wet, “sunburned” or contain objects or particles that hinder recycling.

Unwanted items bundled with waste paper are known as “contaminants,” which typically include:

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Your waste paper dealer will tell you if he can accept other paper items, such as telephone books, paperbacks or magazines. If not, they should be listed in your publicity as contaminants.

The easiest and best place to prevent con- tamination is in the home, where residents bundle papers for collection. Stress that news- papers should be separated from unwanted items and tied in bundles or placed in paper bags. Also, to insure good-quality paper, your collection teams should watch for obvious con- taminants as they collect or unload the paper. Residents who consistently include contami- nants in their paper should be notified and cau- tioned immediately.

Keeping a close watch on the quality of the collected paper is another way to obtain the highest value possible when you sell it to your dealer.

Paper Recycling- A Proven Fund Raiser

Organizations of all types and sizes have successfully collected old newspapers for many years. They have earned sizeable incomes to finance projects while reducing the amount of

solid waste disposed in local landfills. Here are some good examples:

The Calumet Council of the Boy Scouts of America organized a one-day drive that netted nearly 500 tons of old newspapers worth almost $8,500. The drive involved 7,000 Boy and Cub Scouts in 88 communities in metropolitan Chi- cago and northern Indiana working under adult supervisors and direction from a local waste pa- per dealer, who also provided collection bins and other equipment and purchased all of the collected papers.

The Conestoga High School Band in Ber- wyn, Pennsylvania, has conducted drives for years and collected more than five million pounds of paper. Sponsored by the Band Par- ents Association, the drives have earned funds for new band uniforms, as well as band trips to Florida and other places.

But, paper collections aren’t restricted to youngsters, as proven by the Old Guard, a se- nior citizen group in Bricktown, New Jersey, which has been collecting an average of 35 tons of papers each month for the last 10 years. Using conveyer belts and power lifts for the heavy work, the group raises more than $5,000 annually to support club activities, local hospital services and a dozen college scholarships for area students.

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Municipal Programs

The number of municipal newspaper pro- grams in America is increasing due in part to the growing awareness by municipal officials of the savings that can result from reduced collection and disposal costs. Another con- tributing element is the rapid depletion of available landfill space in many areas of the nation.

Cities usually collect separated, bundled papers in the course of the regular trash col- lection, or maintain recycling centers in pub- lic works yards where residents can bring their paper and other recyclable items.

Municipal programs should not be viewed as replacing civic or charitable paper drives-but as augmenting them instead. The publicity campaign conducted in connection with the municipal program helps establish the “recycling habit” more firmly in the com- munity and benefits group paper drives as well. The charitable group programs should take place on days when there is no munici- pal collection . . . or the program can be or- ganized in a location where municipal collectors do not collect newspapers bundled by residents.

The following section describes the vari- ous steps usually taken to establish a munici- pal newspaper collection program.

Step 1. Establish a market for your old newspapers

A municipality making the effort to collect waste paper can often negotiate a long-term contract with a recycling mill or a waste paper dealer. Typical long-term contracts run for two years, and usually include a pricing structure. The price paid for collected papers can be ei- ther a constant per-ton amount throughout the term of the contract, or the price can fluctuate, either up or down, based on published market data. In the case of a fluctuating rate, the con- tract may include a minimum price.

Step 2. Select a compatible collection method

There are two principal collection methods in use. The first method is TRUCK COLLEC- TION-in which sanitation trucks are fitted with special racks or tow-trailers to collect papers on regular collection days (i.e. an “integrated” sys- tem), or separate trucks are used on a special schedule. The second method is CENTRAL SITE COLLECTION-in which a portion of a municipal yard or parking lot is set aside for permanent collection containers.

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The advantage of an integrated system is that residents need not remember special col- lection days. They simply put out bundled newspapers next to their refuse containers. Lim- itations to this system include the need for peri- odic emptying of the racks or trailers at temporary storage locations and the initial cost of adding the special equipment to existing vehicles.

routes faster and eliminates the need for tempo- rary storage. Also, municipalities may be able to make use of under-utilized vehicles already on hand. However, residents must learn a new col- lection schedule for old newspapers that is sep- arate from trash collection.

equipment costs, but also is less efficient be- cause it relies on residents to bring their papers to the site. In this respect, central site collec- tions require greater citizen education than truck collections.

Municipal recycling expenses will depend on the prevailing cost of collection and disposal and on the extent of public cooperation. It often is possible to collect old newspapers on a profit- able basis because three quarters of the cost of trash collection is the cost of getting trucks and men to the area in which they are needed. A recycling program should be approached as one which will pay for itself-both in dollars and in long-term benefits to the environment-and secondarily as a source of revenue.

The separate truck system covers collection

Central site collection has lower labor and

Step 3. Mobilize resident support through public education

It is vital that a continuous public informa- tion program be mounted and maintained to establish the “recycling habit” among residents. A slogan, name or symbol for your program will help increase public awareness. Repetition in all announcements or ads will reinforce recogni- tion. The mayor or another prominent munici- pal official should hold a press conference a month or so prior to the first collection date to gain maximum exposure for the program. City officials can assist by contacting newspaper, ra- dio and television reporters to ask for their con- tinuing support for this important public program.

Weekly newspaper stories should be written for the first few months of the program. Some subjects for the articles include: the success of the program in terms of paper collected, the value of recycling old newspapers in helping to solve solid waste and environmental problems, how paper is recycled, and the identity of local groups, if any, participating in the program. If possible, a report should detail how savings in disposal costs and revenue from the drive will benefit the community.

Step 4. Voluntary us. mandatory separation program

Municipal collection programs should be voluntary in that they request citizen support, but do not mandate it. Programs are successful if there is adequate public awareness. In any municipal program residents should have the option of diverting newspapers to paper drives run by civic and charitable groups, if they wish.

NOTE: If your municipality decides its newspaper collection program should be volun- tary, an anti-pilfering or anti-scavenger ordi- nance may be necessary. This ordinance will make it illegal for anyone but municipal workers to collect newspapers placed at the curb on mu- nicipal collection days.

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Where recycling is a way of lije

The experiences of scores of cities and towns indicate that municipal recycling pro- grams are an effective means of reducing solid waste disposal costs. When implemented with existing manpower and equipment, these pro- grams require a minimum of administrative costs; thus resulting in substantial savings.

Rockford, Illinois, a city of 150,000 resi- dents located northwest of Chicago, began a newspaper recycling program in 1974. During the first 30 months of operation, the program has returned a total net savings on solid waste disposal costs of $40,000.

Citizen participation in the program is vol- untary. Residents are asked to place string-tied bundles of newspapers no more than 12 inches high on the curb with their regular refuse. Rock- ford’s private refuse contractor compacts the trash in 12-cubic-yard garbage vehicles and col- lects newspapers in an area on top of the pusher-packers as part of regular collections. The papers are off-loaded at the landfill site onto a 40-foot tractor trailer, which is emptied weekly.

The more than 2,180 tons of old news- papers collected during the period were sold for $49,000. As the papers were recycled rather than added to the landfill, the city saved an- other $15.000 in dumD charaes. which aver-

aged $6.60 per ton, for a total gross saving of

papers accounted for $24,000.

going publicity campaign to encourage resi- dents to participate in the program. In addition to using newspaper articles and radio public service announcements, municipal officials allo- cate a portion of the income from the news- paper sales to purchase tree seedlings, which are given to residents free of charge to help beautify the city.

The Village of Ridgewood, New Jersey, also has proven that recycling makes sense even for small communities. Currently, Ridgewood’s 30,000 residents save about five percent of their total solid waste disposal costs by recycling.

began in 1973, after a two-month test of 400 residents proved successful. Old newspapers are collected every other week as part of a reg- ular bulk collection of furniture, appliances, yard waste, etc. The Village’s nine 25-cubic- yard compactor trucks make their regular routes picking up only the refuse. At the end of the route, the compactor blade is lifted as high as possible to create a storage space at the back of the truck, and the crew then goes back along the route collecting old newspapers. Any over- flow is placed in barrel racks installed on the trucks.

Since there is no ordinance requiring resi- dents to separate their papers from the other refuse, Ridgewood relies on an extensive pub- licity program conducted by active citizen groups. There is, however, an anti-scavenger or- dinance, which protects the papers put out on curbs. The ordinance only covers bulk collec- tion days in order to allow Boy Scouts and other groups to collect newspapers on weekends.

In a recent one-year period, the program collected 450 tons of old newspapers, which were sold for $15,000. Savings on landfill dump charges added another $1,600 for a total saving

ment and claims there has been no increase in labor costs with the addition of the recycling program.

$64,000. Additional city labor for handling the

The City of Rockford has conducted an on-

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~~

The program in this New York City suburb

of $16,600. The Village uses existing equip- __--

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corrugated boxes are the largest single source of waste r recycling. In fact, used corrugated comprises about 40 fa l l waste paper recycled in the US. , and the overall use

grade of waste paper by recycling mills is expected to

stores, supermarkets, factories and department stores ecycle used boxes and cartons for financial reasons. g today's high cost of disposing of solid waste, ffers businessmen an attractive alternative to paying

ulers to dump good-quality waste paper in municipal 1s. In addition to saving on their trash hauling bills, ssmen can often profit from the sale of used corrugated o local waste paper dealers or mills.

northeast region major supermarket chain reports that 110 in the area generate some 250 tons of corrugated

rs per week. The corrugated is either back-hauled to ses or sold directly to dealers. The savings in trash ees alone is close to $2 million per year for the region.

fferent methods are practiced to keep used corrugated arate from other refuse and to ship it to recycling mills. of collection program employed by a commercial or 1 facility will depend on the amount of corrugated

ted, available storage facilities and proximity of recycling nd/or waste paper dealers. The following section offers 1 advice on establishing a successful used corrugated

ction program.

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Steps In Establishing aUsedCorrugated Recycling Program

Step 1. Establishing a market for your waste paper

The first step in any recycling effort is to determine the market value of the paper your company generates. Most cities have waste paper dealers who buy waste paper from local businesses and the general public. Dealers, listed in the Yellow Pages under “Waste Paper,” are the best source of information on the amount of money being paid for used cor- rugated boxes. If possible, contact several dealers in your area to insure that you receive the fairest price for your paper.

Step 2. Keep used comgated sepamte from the tmsh

Once you have determined the market for your used corrugated boxes, keep it separate from other refuse generated by your business. This source separation procedure will keep your waste paper free of contaminants, and increase its value. Source separation also elim- inates the time consuming and difficult task of sorting recyclable corrugated boxes after it has been mixed together with unwanted material (see separate heading for a complete explana- tion on contaminants).

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Step 3. Devise an efficient handling system

Next, you must devise an efficient system of handling the corrugated boxes from the point of origin to the storage area where it is picked up by a dealer. In the case of a small retail estab- lishment, the system might be nothing more than tying up the empty boxes with cord and piling them in the back room or outside the back door. Stores generating greater amounts of corrugated might require the installation of a small baler, which can effectively reduce the amount of storage space required. Larger busi- nesses, such as department stores, factories and assembly plants, usually generate the greatest quantities of old corrugated containers and may require the installation of larger compacting and baling equipment to handle the volume. (A complete description of baling and compacting units appears under a separate heading. ) In some instances, industrial shredders are also in- stalled to further reduce the bulk of the boxes prior to baling.

Retail stores that are part of a chain of stores often find it more profitable to backhaul used boxes from individual stores to regional warehouse facilities for processing, rather than handle the material on a store-by-store basis. Large balers or compactors are installed at these central processing points to handle the combined tonnage of used corrugated gener- ated in the region. Thus, the same trucks that deliver goods to the stores are used to backhaul used boxes to the warehouses.

A local waste paper dealer can offer valu- able assistance in determining a corrugated re- covery system to meet the needs of individual businesses. He can suggest and, in some cases, supply the right combination of equipment to handle the volume of used corrugated being generated.

Step 4. Arrange for pickup of your corrugated

Once the corrugated has been processed, arrange to have it picked up from your store or plant. In the vast majority of cases, a waste pa- per dealer will make the necessary pickups. In some instances, however, large generators of waste paper can sell their corrugated directly to paper recycling mills. In these cases, the mills arrange for the pickups.

A growing number of firms, especially smaller retail outlets, have found that local resi- dents or employees with pickup trucks or vans will gladly remove used boxes from the prop- erty free of charge and sell them to a dealer. Although these firms don’t realize a profit since the boxes are being given away, they are able to substantially reduce their trash hauling costs, This type of system is attractive to businesses that do not generate sufficient quantities to make it profitable for waste paper dealers to provide pickup service.

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Step 5. Establish a relationship with local dealevs

When the recycling program is underway, it is important for your firm to maintain a close relationship with one or more dealers in the area. By so doing, you will guarantee a rela- tively stable and reliable outlet for your collected paper. Dealers are more likely to con- tinue buying from their established suppliers, instead of firms with erratic collection programs.

Used Corrugated Boxes Must Be Kept Free of Contaminants

To realize the maximum value for your used corrugated boxes, be sure it is free of all debris and unwanted material. Contamination is a se- rious concern of the paper recycling industry since unwanted materials adversely affect pro- duction efficiency and product quality.

items as Styrofoam packing material and metal cans to less apparent materials like wax and plastic coated cartons. The list below includes unwanted materials most commonly found in used corrugated boxes generated at commercial and industrial facilities. As a general rule, how- ever, employees who process used corrugated containers should be instructed not to include boxes they suspect may have contaminants.

Contaminants can range from such obvious

Common Contaminants Plastics, such as trays used to package food items, Styrofoam packing materials; plastic bags, wrap and film; plastic cups, etc. Metal objects, such as wire hangers, case strapping, cans, nails, etc. Plastic and wax coated cartons, such as those commonly used to pack fresh produce. They are distinguishable because color is a very dark brown and the surface is shiny. Junk (called “tramp materials”), including floor sweepings, wood, food waste, cans, trash. etc.

Attractively designed posters, depicting these common contaminants, are available at nominal cost from the American Paper Institute. These posters can be displayed in storage or baling areas as a constant reminder to employ- ees that the waste paper should be kept clean and contaminant-free.

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Baling and Compacting Equipment Can

Facilitate the Handling of Used Corrugated

While the purchase of special equipment is not essential for the success of every corru- gated recycling program, many businesses have found that compactors and/or balers facilitate the handling and storing of used cor- rugated. In many cases, the use of this special equipment has increased the revenues from the recycling program.

Baling and compacting equipment come in a wide range of sizes and models to meet the needs of any recycling program. The following models are used by commercial and industrial establishments to facilitate handling and to re- duce the space required to store used corru- gated prior to shipment to dealers or mills.

Baler-This type of baler can be wheeled from Portable S e r i e S - ~ ~ S m a l l e r ”

one location to another, as needed. It can be operated easily by unskilled laborers, and re- quires no special electrical wiring or employee training. This model produces bales weighing from 100 to 300 pounds each, and is recom- mended for facilities with moderate volumes of corrugated waste.

Middle Size SedeS--“Medium” Baler-These units are installed permanently at locations where larger volumes of used cor- rugated are generated, such as the back rooms of supermarkets or loading dock areas of industrial facilities. They are also operable by unskilled laborers. Horizontal or vertical sta- tionary balers can produce industrial-size bales weighing from 250 to 600 pounds.

Portable Baler

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Most Popular Series-will Size” Baler-These horizontal and vertical units produce large “mill size” bales weighing 750 to 1,300 pounds. These balers are commonly used by those supermarkets, stores and plants processing large volumes of corrugated box waste.

Extra Heauy Duty Series -These units are used for baling chipboard, folding carton and solid fibered boxboard stock commonly generated by industrial operations, such as printing and converting plants, breweries and factories. Bale weights range from 900 to 1,800 pounds.

Compactors, like balers, come in a variety of sizes to meet the specific needs of your busi- ness operation. Compactors are generally needed by large retail stores and plants that generate a high volume of waste paper daily. They are normally located in the loading dock area and are filled continuously during working hours by your personnel. When full, the con- tainer is removed by specially-equipped trucks and transported to local dealers or mills.

Recycling Can Reduce Waste Disposal Costs and Generate Income

There are many sound environmental rea- sons for recycling more of our nation’s wastes, beginning with the diminishing availability of landfill space in urban areas. But the primary motive for businessmen to establish recycling programs is economics. Some companies have found they can create a “profit center” from the waste paper generated by their companies.

The Northern Division of a supermarket chain, for example, is realizing savings in dis- posal costs, as well as profits from the sale of the used boxes generated by the division’s 275 stores. The chain estimates a monthly savings of $300 per store, or $82,500 per month for the entire region. In addition, the chain receives up to $80,000 per month by selling its baled corru- gated to recycling mills. The recycling program, therefore, represents some $1.9 million an- nually for the Northern Division.

Department stores, factories and assembly plants throughout the country report similar re- ductions in their monthly trash bills and profits from the resale of their baled or compacted used corrugated boxes. Major chain stores, for example, have been recycling corrugated for years, as have various manufacturing plants.

A midwestern glass company once paid $300 per month for disposal of its used corru- gated, but now earns $800 per month by sel- ling the corrugated to local paper stock dealers. In this case, expenses for the program have been kept to a minimum by assigning mainte- nance employees to run the baler on a part time basis.

Prevailing waste paper market conditions, the volume of corrugated generated, and the actual reduction in trash hauling costs will ulti- mately determine the profitability of any recy- cling program. It makes good business sense today, in light of rising operating costs, to stop thinking of waste paper as trash to be disposed of, and, instead, to view used corrugated boxes as a valuable raw material to be recovered and recycled.

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Recycling High Grade Office Papers

High grade waste papers, such as trimmings and cuttings from converting and printing plants, computer printouts, tabulating cards and desk top papers are a valuable source of fiber for paper recycling. High grades account for approximately 20 percent of all waste paper utilized by the recycling industry as a raw material, and are more valuable in the marketplace than most other types of waste paper because they can be used as a substitute for woodpulp in the papermaking process. Depending on prevailing markets, dealers usually pay more for these grades of waste paper than for lower grades, such as old newspapers and used corrugated boxes.

Most of the high-quality paper recycled is in the form of cutting or trimmings from converting/printing plants that produce the various paper products. However, a growing number of office buildings around the country have become aware of the value of their high grade waste paper. They have established recycling programs to keep clean recyclable waste paper separate from office trash.

In addition to the revenues from the sale of paper, offices can often reduce disposal costs, since the paper is no longer treated as trash to be carted away. In fact, a recent survey sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that separating recyclable paper from the trash reduced the volume of solid waste in 12 office buildings by an average of 34 percent and, in one case, up to 78 percent.

While the primary motivation for recycling office papers is profit, there are important environmental benefits, too. The EPA estimates that 90 percent of all office waste by weight is waste paper, which ends up in already crowded landfills. Since most office building are located in urban areas, effective office recycling programs can have a significant impact on reducing the volume of solid waste disposed of in municipal landfills. The following section offers a step-by-step approach to recycling office paper.

How to Recycle InOffice Buildings

While specific procedures for handling recyclable waste paper vary from building to building, according to their individual lay- outs, the following approach is recom- mended to implement an effective office program .

Step 1. Establish a market for your paper

The important first step in any office recy- cling program is to contact a local waste paper dealer listed in the Yellow Pages under “waste paper.” Iie can tell you the grades of paper that are in demand in your area, the price being paid, and provide assistance in setting up your program.

Step 2. Announce the program to employees

A successful recycling program depends on employee cooperation, since it is the em- ployees who must develop the new habit of separating recyclable paper from other office trash. Therefore, employees should receive several announcements of the recycling pro- gram (for example, once a week for three weeks) before it begins. These announcements should indicate management support for the program and inciude as much information as possible about the collection procedures (see below). As an incentive to workers, some firms donate a percentage of the program’s income to a scholarship fund, local charity or to spon- sor office parties or outings.

Step 3. Separate recyclable papers at the desk

It is important to keep recyclable waste paper separate from unwanted paper and other items that hinder recycling. The easiest place to do this is at the desk where the paper is generated. Some offices use-desk-top con- tainers, such as file trays or napkin-type hold- ers, where employees place different types of papers in separate compartments. Other firms use centrally located bins-for the recyclable paper being collected. A list describing recycla- ble and non-recyclable office papers should be distributed to all employees, indicating that only recyclable grades should be saved.

Step 4. Devise an ejficient collection system

The system used for transporting the col- lected recyclable paper to an area for pickup by a waste paper dealer will depend on the physi- cal layout of your offices. In general, regular custodial personnel can collect the recyclable paper from desks or centrally located bins and

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deposit it in larger containers usually located outdoors or in the loading dock area, with little or no extra time required.

not-so-obvious materials like gummed labels and magazines (see separate heading for a full explanation of contaminants).

Step 5. Keep waste paper free of contaminants

Contamination, which includes non- recyclable paper and other materials, substan- tially lowers the value of office waste paper because it produces serious problems in the paper manufacturing process. Contaminants run the gamut from such obvious items as food waste, beverage bottles and cans to some

Step 6. Publicity and follow up on the program

The success of an office paper recycling program depends largely on the continued cooperation of all employees. Memos updating the success of a recycling program can keep employee interest at a high level until the pro- gram becomes a “recycling habit.” Also, periodic publicity about the program will help assure participation, especially for new em- ployees. This publicity can appear in local newspapers, company publications and special interoffice “recycling memos,’’ or it can take the form of special announcements or awards at office parties or gatherings.

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Office Waste Paper Must Be Free From Contaminants

The high value of office paper depends on its being free of all unwanted material. Com- mon trash items such as lunch bags and coffee cups are considered contaminants, as are lower grades of waste paper like newspapers, maga- zines and cardboard which also must be sepa- rated from recyclable office papers. While these grades are recyclable individually, they become

contaminants when mixed with the high grades of waste paper.

Consult your waste paper dealer to learn exactly which papers should be collected in your office. Meanwhile, the following list iden- tifies some of the commonly recycled office grades and some common contaminants:

-

An attractively designed office poster describing these recyclable grades and contaminants is available at nominal cost from the American Paper Institute.

The poster should be placed near the designated recycling containers to remind employees to keep clean waste paper separate from contaminants.

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Recycling At One Of The World’s Largest Office Complex

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, has been conducting a successful office waste paper recovery program for several years. The Port Authority’s experi- ence has shown that hundreds of tons of good-quality paper can be extracted efficiently from large office buildings without disrupting the normal office work routine.

1974 in the offices of the Port Authority and a few private tenants. Today, the program has become an accepted part of the daily routine of nearly 10,000 employees in the “Twin Towers” and includes almost 75 private companies and various federal and state governmental offices. The number of “paper recycling stations” has jumped from 15 ,in 1974 to more than 300 today.

A paper recycling (collection) station is simply a clearly marked waste basket, cardboard box, fiber drum or even an unused storage shelf where the employees voluntarily deposit recyclable waste paper. Some of the stations are reserved for just one or two grades of paper, such as computer printouts or tabulat- ing cards, while other stations are for a wider variety of general office papers, including white typing, xerographic and scratch paper. A poster at each station reminds the employees what types of paper and office material should not be included with the recyclable waste paper.

The Port Authority recovers several grades of waste paper, totaling approximately one ton per day. The largest single grade is manila tabulating cards, traditionally one of the most valuable grades for recycling. The crew also picks up 1.5 tons of old newspapers per month deposited by commuters in specially designed boxes located in the Twin Tower lobbies. The

The paper recycling program was started in

remainder of the paper includes colored tabulating cards, computer printout paper and white ledger.

has more than offset the Port Authority’s expenses, even during periods of economic recession when the value of waste paper drops substantially. Equipment costs have been kept to a minimum by using spare waste baskets and fiber drums at collection stations whenever possible.

Expenses to get the program underway amounted to approximately $1,500, half of which went for printing of educational posters and the other half to purchase second-hand automated equipment.

Within a year, the Port Authority had more than offset these initial costs and was covering the ongoing labor expenses of a special nine- man crew, which collects and stores the waste paper for pick-up by a local dealer. Current labor costs are running approximately $1,700 per month, and the Port Authority expects to purchase an additional $1,000 worth of equipment, all from the revenues of the pro- gram, to further enhance its success.

Income from the sale of the waste paper

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Recycling Is A Way Of Life at Midwest W t y Company Many offices have found that providing

employees with desk-top bins is the most effec- tive method of separating high grade waste paper from unwanted office material and trash.

At the Detroit Edison Company, for exam- ple, all 1,800 office workers have small trays resembling napkin holders where they regu- larly place typing paper, letterheads, scratch paper, xerographic paper, business forms and computer printouts. Each employee then de- posits his collected paper in any of 170 cardboard boxes placed at regular mail box locations.

On a pre-arranged schedule, a mail room employee hired to handle the waste paper empties the paper into a large wheeled cart. He then transports the cart to the loading dock area where it is stored for pick-up by a local waste paper dealer.

The program produces about eight tons of high grade paper every week and represents a gross yearly income of about $24,000 and a net income of about $12,000 a year for the utility company.

Employee education regarding the pro- gram was accomplished smoothly in a three- week period. All workers received a 15-minute orientation, identifying the types of recyclable paper. Each worker then was assigned a coor- dinator, who could answer questions about the program as it progressed. As a constant reminder to employees, attractive posters are displayed at each collection station, describing what papers should be deposited.

The posters, as well as the 170 collection boxes, were purchased at a total cost of less than $500. The only other expense in imple- menting the program was the hiring of the full time mailroom employee and $500 for two dozen fire resistant covers for the bins where the paper is stored for pick-up.

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