How is Paper Recycled? Learn About the Recycling Process at Pratt Industries

Summary

The video offers a detailed tour of a material recovery facility, showcasing the process of waste sorting and recycling. Trucks unload waste, which is then sorted by workers and machinery, including a disc screen and a trommel. Materials are separated into various streams and undergo quality checks. Cardboard is baled for transport to a paper mill, where it's recycled into new paper products. The facility plays a crucial role in Pratt Industries' commitment to providing 100% recycled packaging solutions.

Takeaways

• 🚚 Trucks arrive at the facility and are first weighed before unloading materials.
• 🔄 Materials are unloaded in a designated area and then loaded onto a conveyor system.
• 🚜 A front loader is used to move materials into an in-feed bunker for processing.
• 🌫️ A mister is utilized to manage dust during the material handling process.
• ♻️ Workers manually remove contaminants from the material on the pre-sort line.
• 📏 A disc screen is used to separate cardboard from other materials based on size.
• 🔭 Materials are further sorted into different streams: fines, medium, and large items.
• 🧲 Ferrous and aluminum materials are separated using magnets and eddy current separators.
• 🌬️ A blower sorter is employed to separate light materials from heavy ones.
• 🔎 Optical sorters are used to separate different types of plastics and cartons.
• 📦 Bales are compressed and stacked for transportation to be sold as commodities.
• 🌿 Mixed paper is sent to a paper mill to be recycled into 100% recycled paper products.

Q & A

What is the first step in the material recovery process at the Conyers facility?

The first step is for trucks to arrive at the facility, where they stop on a scale to be weighed before proceeding to unload the materials onto the floor.

How is dust managed during the initial stages of material handling?

A mister is used to help manage any dust as the materials are moved onto the first conveyor.

What is the function of the pre-sort line in the facility?

The pre-sort line is where workers manually remove contaminants from the material, dropping them into bunkers below.

How is cardboard separated from other materials?

Cardboard is separated from other materials using a disc screen, where it climbs the screen while the remaining material falls through.

What happens to the fines, medium-sized, and large items after the trommel separates them?

Fines are conveyed past a cross-belt magnet to capture ferrous materials and an eddy current to capture aluminum. Medium-sized materials go to a ballistic sorter, while large items are conveyed to a blower sorter, which separates light and heavy materials.

What is the role of the blower sorter in the facility?

The blower sorter separates light materials from heavy materials, which are then sent to separate sort lines where contaminants are removed.

How is mixed paper sorted and handled?

Mixed paper is sorted using optical sorters in the light stream. After passing a final quality control check, it is loaded into a mixed paper truck.

What materials are separated by the optical sorters on the optical sort line?

The optical sorters on the optical sort line separate number two HDPE (high-density polyethylene), number one PET (polyethylene terephthalate), and cartons.

What happens to the bales of sorted commodities after they are compressed?

The bales of sorted commodities are stacked and loaded onto trailers to be sold as commodities.

What is unique about the handling of the mixed paper stream?

The mixed paper stream is hauled directly to the Pratt paper mill, where it is re-pulped and made into 100% recycled paper. The recycled paper is then either converted into new cardboard or shipped to other Pratt facilities.