Why Recycling is so important
Paper is a principal resource on a global scale; more than 500.000.000 tons of paper and cardboard are produced nowadays, while only half of that was produced 20 years ago.
Since virgin paper derives from wood processing, the higher the percentage of paper is recycled, the less the trees and the woodland are threatened with extinction. Another reason that paper recycling is a must is because its alternative production materials demand extremely high energy consumption. One should also bear in mind that despite the fact that the paper gets degraded by nature much more easily compared to other materials (eg. plastic), with an average disintegration time of 20-30 days, yet this does not prevent the environment pollution. Paper recycling has also other benefits, but the primary two are the reduction of raw material use and the lower energy consumption.
What are the benefits of 1 ton recycled paper:
We save 17 trees
We save energy & water consumption by 50%
We decrease pollution by 74%
We reduce waste to landfills
We create 5 times more job positions
The importance of Recycling for industries
Paper is produced by highly concentrated cellulose fibers. Waste paper is divided into grades (qualities) according to the state of the fibers and the percentage of purity of the paper.
The larger the paper fibers, the better its quality and the higher its market price. After repeated recycling the fibers are degraded (mixing and processing with water breaks and shortens them); so the paper can’t be recycled indefinitely. In a paper-mill the paper is mixed with water to form the pulp. (The hydropolitizer separates the paper fibers, which together with water make up the mixture from which the metals and other impurities are removed). The clean pulp can be converted into 100% recycled paper product, while it can also form a blend together with wood pulp or virgin fibers to produce paper and paperboard that is partially composed of recycled and virgin fibers.
El Pack Group active in Recycling
The El Pack Group, fully integrated in paper processing and production, shows respect towards the environment by applying best business practices that have its protection and the sustainable development as their primary objective.
Recycling is a central growth option for our Group in the context of sustainable development, since the packaging products produced by the El Pack Group are largely deriving from recycled raw materials and are 100% recyclable. For this purpose, the points of collection of the by-products of the production process are constantly increasing in cooperation with private operators, paper-makers, cardboard processors and paper dealers.
More specifically, FTHIOTIS RECYCLING gathers, sorts, categorizes, compresses, cuts & bundles the shredder before it gets transferred to the paper-making unit for cleaning, industrialization & paper production.
FTHIOTIS PAPERMILL, also being a member of the El Pack Group, is the largest industrial plant in the production of recycled packaging paper in Greece. The annual recycling capacity reaches 50.000.000 kg of old packaging papers.
The production line is fed by paper clips and produces annually more than 35.000.000 kg of recycled and recyclable packaging paper, which is either used as raw material in the Group’s corrugated production units or sold to other cartonboard producers, ensuring a triple benefit for the domestic economy: the volume of paper waste that would otherwise end up in landfills is reduced, the capital outflow that would be required for the import of the corresponding quantities of raw material is reduced and, consequently, the added value of generating raw material from materials that would otherwise be discarded, remains in our country, offering job positions.