Green Packaging and Waste Paper Recycling (Part 2)

Table 1 Utilization Rate of Recycled Recycled Paper and Regeneration Rate of Waste Paper (%)*

Finland China South Korea Canada United States Japan Germany France
5.8 57.3 69.6 23.6 41.2 58 64.5 57.8
53.4 33.8 66.9 39.1 48.7 61.9 75.2 49.2

*Source: Statistical data of the Japan Paper Association; data in column 2 of the table is "utilization of recycled paper", and column 3 is "recycling rate of waste paper".
For waste paper recycling, classified collection is the most effective method. Because it is easier to use the same type of waste paper to produce the same type of paper, using waste paper to produce high-grade printing paper will cause a decrease in productivity and an increase in production costs. In fact, once the waste paper is classified, it will become a different kind of papermaking raw material and become a useful thing for human beings. The output of Japanese paper and paperboard is increasing year by year. In 2001, the output of paper and paperboard in Japan was 30.717 million tons, which was 1.1 times that in 1990. In the 11 years between 1990 and 2001, the Japanese pulp consumption was basically the same. On the other hand, waste paper and paper products have become the main raw materials for the Japanese paper industry. In 2001, waste paper accounted for 58% of Japan's paper and paperboard production raw materials. It can be seen that Japan's main papermaking raw material is waste paper, and waste paper has played a role as an "invisible forest." Due to the high recovery rate of waste paper, Japan has become the world's third largest paper producer.
3 China's waste paper and paper products have great potential for recycling. China attaches great importance to the recycling of waste paper. In 1998, it promulgated the Provisional Management Measures for the Recycling of Packaging Resources, which stipulates packaging wastes including waste paper packaging. This principle is very necessary and timely. The premise of recycling waste paper is classified recycling. At present, China's waste paper recycling system is still incomplete, and there is not enough publicity on the significance and methods of waste paper sorting and recycling. The employees have not received systematic training, resulting in the recovery of waste paper in recent years is far below the level of 20 years ago. At present, the recycling rate of waste paper in China is only 33.8%, and most of them are mixed and recycled, and the varieties are mixed, making it impossible for waste paper to be used rationally. There is also a large part of waste paper that has not been recycled, wasting these valuable renewable resources, and also causing harm to the environment.
At present, China's paper industry is developing in the direction of reducing pollution, saving energy and making full use of fiber resources. China's waste paper processing technology has also been significantly improved, especially waste paper deinking technology has matured. In addition, in recent years, China has introduced advanced waste paper processing equipment that has little damage to waste paper fiber and has the features of water saving, energy saving, and low fiber loss, and is suitable for processing various types of waste paper. The processing capacity of waste paper in China has been greatly improved, and China has already had the conditions to increase the recycling of waste paper.
4 Development Direction of Recycling Waste Paper and Paper Products in China After several decades of development, China's waste paper and paper product recycling system has achieved great success. However, there is still a certain gap compared with Japanese paper. There are many reasons for this, both because of the reasons for the recycling management system and the lack of people’s ideological understanding. Recycling of waste paper and paper products has a long way to go. Currently, it is imperative to work out a complete set of waste paper and paper product recycling systems that are in line with China's national conditions and are in line with international standards. This will make the paper industry in China develop rapidly. With the elbow, it also protects resources and the ecological environment.
China should increase its efforts to promote resource awareness, raise the awareness of environmental protection among all people, make people aware of the importance of waste paper sorting and recycling, view waste paper as an “invisible forest”, and vigorously shape the ecological consciousness of “invisible forest”. And through legislation to ensure the smooth implementation of waste paper sorting and recycling. Strengthen the functions of renewable resource recycling companies; form a nationwide network of waste paper recycling, processing, and utilization. Formulate uniform waste paper classification standards, set up public waste paper sorting and recycling devices in households and various units, collect waste paper according to different types (waste newsprint paper, waste corrugated packaging paper and office waste paper), and then collect it by the paper-making enterprises. Recycling of quality. The government has given corresponding policies to support enterprises that recycle waste paper to encourage the development and research of waste paper processing technologies and equipment, and to promote the improvement of domestic waste paper utilization rate and regeneration rate.
According to China's lack of resources, the recycling of waste paper and paper products, and the development and production of paper packaging materials that are harmless to the human body and the environment are of great significance to improving the level of China's packaging industry and developing China's green packaging.