Dresden University Paper Recycling Research: ISTEAC Project Report

This report presents the initial concepts and exploration of paper recycling research, focusing on the ISTEAC project undertaken by the Dresden University of Technology's Institute for Waste Management. The research aims to assess paper recycling potential and schemes in different settings, particularly in Vietnam and the Philippines, considering the large import needs of Asian countries and the well-developed infrastructure in Europe. The study involves reviewing the paper industry, assessing waste paper quantities and recycling requirements, studying existing infrastructure, and proposing strategies to enhance paper recycling. The report highlights the importance of reliable statistics and uses a descriptive approach due to data inconsistencies. It provides examples of paper mass flow in Germany and explores waste paper sources, quality, and collection routes. The research also delves into the utilization potential of recovered paper, considering the impact of collection methods on material quality and recycling economics, and discusses the potential for paper recycling in various European cities. The goal is to establish what waste paper is used for and propose optimal strategies for increasing paper recycling.

Introduction/early concept of
the paper recycling research
Activity 23 of the ISTEAC project
Dresden University of Technology
Institute for Waste Management

Task description
Activity 23: Exploration of recycling potential and recycling
schemes for paper in different settings
Recognizing
- the need of large imports of the Asian countries to satisfy the
domestic demands on paper production in result of the lack of waste
paper supplies from own sources (indicating a huge potential for
increasing the recovery of waste paper within these countries),
-the well developed infrastructure and economies in European
countries, including Germany and Greece, for the collection and use
of waste paper by the industry.
Specific activities include (for the cases of Vietnam and Philippines):
⇒ Review of the paper industry,
⇒ Assess waste paper quantities and recycled paper requirement,
⇒ Study the existing paper recycling infrastructure,
⇒ Propose an optimal strategy to increase recycling of paper,
⇒ Write a report of the study.
Dresden University of Technology
Institute for Waste Management

Dresden University of Technology
Institute for Waste Management
Research focus
The need of reliable statistics
for the research, e.g.
- on the paper production,
- im-/exports,
- collected and utilised/recycled
amounts of paper
is contradicted a.o. by
controversial figures that
appear in various country
reports.
Paradigm for D efinitions
used in this Study
P ro d u c tio n
C o n su m p tio n
C o lle c tio n
R e c yc lin g
S o rtin g
P a p e r
W aste paper
C ollected
waste paper
R e c ycle d
fib re
Im p o rt-e xp o rt
p a p e r
Paper waste
W aste
separated by
s o rtin g
R e -p ro c e s s in g
w a ste
Im -/export of
collected waste
p a p e r
C ollected waste
paper for
organic recovery
Virgin fibre
C ollected waste
paper for
energy recovery
..“There are ninety large and small scale paper producing mills dispersed
throughout the country. The larger paper mills include Bai Bang, Viet
Tri (Vinh Phu), Vien Dong, Linh Xuan, Thu Duc (Ho Chi Minh city), Co
Gido and Tan Mai (Dong Nai) having an annual output of between 2 to
30 million tonnes. National paper production has a capacity of about
160,000 tonnes/year and the pulp production is 165,000 tonnes/year.“

Paper quantities
Example:
Paper mass
flow in
Germany for
2002
TASK:
Trying to work
out more
simplified
versions for
the other
countries
R etu rn s (es timated )
0 .3 0 0 M io . M g
R P u tilis atio n o th er th an p ap er p ro d u ctio n
0 .0 8 0 M io . M g
R P -Imp o rt
1 .7 7 1 M io . M g R P u tilis atio n w ith in p ap er p ro d u ctio n
1 2 .0 3 8 M io . M g
P rimary fib re/A u xiliary material
9 .5 4 7 M io . M g
P ro ces s lo s s es
3 .0 5 9 M io . M g
R P -E xp o rt
3 .4 3 0 M io . M g
R P co llectio n
1 3 .7 7 7 M io . M g
P ap er & b o ard p ro d u ctio n
1 8 .5 26 M io . M g
Su rp lu s o f n et imp o rt
-0 .3 1 5 M io . M g
M ark et s u p p ly p ap er/b o ard
1 8 .2 1 1 M io . M g
N o n -p ap er ad d itiv es
0 .4 7 6 M io . M g
M ark et s u p p ly co n v erted p ro d u cts
1 7 .5 7 7 M io . M g
R P fro m co n v ertin g p ro ces s
1 .1 1 0 M io . M g
N o n -co llectab le p ro d u cts
(e.g . s ew ag e, d o mes tic fu el)
0 .7 1 1 M io . M g
P ro d uct co n s u mp tio n
1 6 .2 1 4 M io . M g
R P at en d -u s er
1 4 .8 9 8 M io . M g
Th eo retical R P p o ten tial at en d -u s ers
1 3 .7 5 2 M io . M g
Su rp lu s o f n et exp o rt
1 .0 6 3 M io . M g
L o n g las tin g p ro d u cts
0 .6 0 5 M io . M g
N o n -reco v erab le R P
at en d -u s ers
1 .1 4 5 M io . M g
-> All partners
Dresden University of Technology
Institute for Waste Management

Waste paper sources
Using a descriptive approach -> All partners
• Industry,
commerce, public
and private
administration
• Other consumer
incl. households
Pre-consumer
waste paper
• Paper converters
and printers
Post-consumer
waste paper
Waste
paper
sources
Waste
paper
quality
Waste
paper
quantity
Uniformity
of waste
paper
Paper
converters
and
printers
Medium
to high
Considerable,
large at single
sources
High
Industry
and trade
Medium
to high,
corrugat-
ed board
mainly
Considerable,
medium at
single
sources
Medium
Adminis-
tration
and offices
Medium Medium, low
to medium at
single
sources
Medium
Other
consumers
(incl.
house-
holds)
Low to
medium
High, low at
single
sources
Low to
medium,
depending on
the collection
system
Dresden University of Technology
Institute for Waste Management

Collection and recovery routes
Dresden University of Technology
Institute for Waste Management
R P co ll ect i o n
1 3 .7 7 7 M io . M g
Th eo reti cal R P p o t en ti al at en d -u s ers
1 3 .7 5 2 M io . M g
R P n o t s ep arat ely co l l ect ed fro m
h o u s eh o l d an d co mmerci al s o u rces
2 .5 3 0 M io . M g
L a n d fi l l
0 .4 8 0 M i o . M g
In c i n e ra t i o n
1 .8 5 0 M io . M g
C o mp o s t i n g
0 .2 0 0 M i o . M g
C o l l ect i o n fro m co mmerce
6 .2 6 7 M i o . M g
H o u s eh o l d co l l ect io n
6 .1 0 0 M i o . M g
Drop-off container
2.350 Mio. Mg
P ap er b in
3 .1 3 0 M i o . M g
B u n d l e co l l ect i o n
0 .2 2 0 M io . M g
O t h er s y s tems
0 .4 0 0 M i o . M g
R P s ep arat el y co ll ect ed fro m h o u s eh o l d an d
co mmerci al s o u rces
1 2 .3 6 7 M i o . M g
Since reliable figures wont
be available, a descriptive
approach should also be
used, e.g. tabular format
-> All partners

Recycling potential
To calculate the recycling
potential the quantity of
separately collected material
and composition of the residual
waste must be known for a
balance period, however !
Time series of waste
quantities, waste
composition and economic
and social parameters for
55 European cities.
Cities divided into four
groups (citygroup 1 to 4
w./ decreasing prosperity
level 1 = high … 4 = low
prosperity).
Dresden University of Technology
Institute for Waste Management

Recovered paper utilisation
Dresden University of Technology
Institute for Waste Management
Austria
Belgium/Luxemb.
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Ireland
Italy
Netherlands
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Austria
Belgium/Luxemb.
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Ireland
Italy
Netherlands
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
Share of production sectors in the paper and board production
of the different EU member states
other paper
sanitary and household
packaging and board
graphic paper
Germany: Product shares
graphical papers: 49%
packaging: 39 %
But there are also other uses aside
from paper production !!

Utilisation potential
Considering the fact that the forms of paper collection and the
recovery logistics have significant effects on the quality, and
therefore the usability of the secondary materials and economics
of recycling.
TASK: Establishing what waste paper is used for -> All partners
Dresden University of Technology
Institute for Waste Management
?