Recycling - PNEB - Newspaper and Magazine Recycling

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The Recycling Process

Recycling Success in Australia

The Industry's Role

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The Recycling Process (continued)

Recycling Collection Systems

There are several different methods adopted by councils in Australia to collect recycled materials. Some councils ask you to put paper in a separate pile or bin for collection. For newsprint and magazines this is the best system because there is a minimum amount of contamination by things like plastic and cardboard.

Girl using kerbside recycling bin Increasingly, though, councils are using commingled collection systems, where paper is mixed with other recyclables and then sorted out later at a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).

The growing use of commingled collection systems is increasing cross-contamination of old newspapers and magazines and causing more to go to waste. Commingling of recyclables has also seen MRFs producing ‘mixed paper’ rather than the higher quality grades necessary for recycling into new newsprint.

This is reducing the value of the newspaper and magazine stock and does not give the best added value for the recyclables. Worse still, it means some old newspapers and magazines are not available for new newsprint manufacture in Australia.

Norske Skog Australasia is investigating several options to increase its newsprint capacity in Australia. These options include a proposal to increase the capacity of the Albury paper mill from 220,000 tonnes to 265,000 tonnes. These options would also involve modifying the existing recycling and de-inking plant to increase its Recovered Paper consumption from 170,000 tonnes to 195,000 tonnes.

To find out how newspapers and magazines are collected in your area, click here.