Academy Recycling 2008
We're happy to report that the Paper Recycling program is working well, thanks to the students in the photos below. In 2007, over 50% of all paper made in the USA was recycled !
The Classical Website has sent a digital camera to the 9th Grade Academy to see what's happening there. Thanks to Mr. Denunzio, the camera will be available to classroom teachers to show what's happening in and around the Academy.
A little more about the recycling process :
After the paper is collected, it is transferred to a recycling center or Material Recovery Facility (MRF), where contaminants such as glass, plastics, paperclips, and staples are removed. Once the recovered paper is free of contaminants, it is baled and transported to a paper mill where the recycling process begins.
To begin the papermaking process using recovered fiber, the fiber is shredded and mixed with water to make a pulp. The pulp is washed, refined, and cleaned, then turned to slush in a beater. Color dyes, coatings, and other additives are mixed in, and the pulp slush is pumped onto a large moving screen. Computers and special sensors monitor each step of the papermaking process.
As the pulp travels down the screen, water is drained away and recycled. The resulting crude paper sheet, also known as web, is pressed between massive rollers to extract most of the remaining water and to ensure smoothness and uniform thickness. The semidry web is then run through heated dryer rollers to remove any remaining water.
Wastewater is carefully treated before it is released or reused. Fiber particles and chemicals are filtered out and often burned in an on-site cogeneration plant that helps to meet the energy needs of the facility, and, in some cases, of the local community.
The finished paper is then wound into large rolls, which can be 30 feet wide and weigh close to 25 tons. A slitter cuts the paper into smaller, more manageable rolls, and the paper is ready for use in your school, workplace, and community.
