Consumer Products

The quality of the fibre obtained from recovered paper cups is excellent, with the original cups having been produced from high quality bleached kraft fibres suitable for food contact appllications, and potentially as near to the quality of the original fibre as it is possible to achieve, prompting the use of the expression "near virgin fibre quality" to describe the material.

Due to the nature of the paper & board used in cup manufacture, the actual fibre is virtually free of any other contamination up until the 'point of use' and responds well to treatments intended to improve the characteristics of the fibre when recycled.

Tissue Machine

TISSUE

Tissue and towelling products are an ideal use for the fibre found in paper cups. The long, strong fibres needed to produce quality paper cups are especially useful to tissue manufacturers who look for both softness and strength in their products.

Many tissue mills are already based on the use of recovered paper and have the necessary technology to deal with some contamination of the cups, such as removal of the polyethylene film and any printing used on the outer surface of the cup.

The group has already completed mill trials on the use of fibre recovered from used paper cups in the production of white household kitchen towel and toilet tissue. We also facilitate supply of paper cups to a tissue mill located in the north of England.

The group holds a small stock of product containing these fibres, should anyone like to see some samples.

COPIER PAPER

Every analysis of the fibre in recovered paper cups has indicated that the quality of the fibre is sufficiently high for the material to be used in the manufacture of high quality paper for photocopiers and laser or ink-jet printers, providing the paper mill using the fibre is equipped with the right technology.

Unfortunately, in September 2008, the one suitably equipped paper mill in the UK closed and by the end of 2008 all copier paper production in the UK ceased, so now the fibre will have to be used to make Market deinked pulp which may be used to produce copier paper.

However, the plant that treats the fibre and produces pulp is still operating and the pulp produced is transported to paper mills in mainland Europe to be used at paper mills where the fibre preparation technology is less sophisticted. (Please see the section on Recycling for technical information.)

Work continues to develop the use of recovered paper cups at this one remaining site in the UK.

Note on Contamination

'Contamination', in this context, refers to residual beverage, plastic lids, stir sticks etc., which pay be left with your cup after you have enjoyed your drink, rather than 'contamination' of the actual fibre.

Too much of this material interferes with the recycling process and reduces the benefits of the recovered paper cups at the paper mill that recycles them, so we should try and minimise the amount of this material that is included with the recovered cups.

Plastic lids can be recycled separately and should be removed from the cup.

Any residual beverage should be drained from the cup (many collection bins incorporate a container to collect the 'dregs' in) and, where possible should be collected upside down.