How is recycled paper made?

Introduction to PCW

Recycled paper is created through a multi-step process that is similar to the creation of brand new paper. If you look back at our previous posts on The History of Paper and Paper, Papyrus, and Parchment, you would know that paper is created from the pulp of fibrous materials.

So instead of creating new paper pulp from wood, recycled paper pulp is created from post consumer waste. Post consumer waste, or more popularly known by its abbreviations PCW, is waste that is left after a product has served its use. Similarly, pre-consumer waste is industrial waste that is generated from production and manufacturing before a product goes to market.

Recycled Paper Pulp and Processing

Recycled paper is collected, sorted, and broken down into pulp by mixing it with water and chemicals. After the recycled paper has been turned into pulp, it gets strained (much like straining pasta) to remove staples, glue, and other non-paper materials. It is then de-inked and bleached to remove all previous printing and any color. After the pulp has been cleaned, it is often mixed with new wood fibers. After the pulp is mixed with new wood fibers, it is spread across a screen so the water can drain out of the pulp mixture. Then it is rolled so that the water is pushed out of the mixture. This process can be repeated several times until the paper fibers become so small that they are filtered out during the straining process. At this point, the paper is ready to be coated and rolled to become recycled paper for the market.

How does CatPrint get involved?

We do our part in protecting the environment by providing several paper options containing various amounts of post consumer waste. Our Heavy Card Stock Cream, Kraft Card Stock, and Light Card Stock Cream, are all 100% PCW. The majority of our other stocks contain at least 10% PCW. For a complete list of our paper and card stocks, click here.