Fresh fibres are always needed in the circular process, both to replace the weak fibres that are discarded and because certain qualities of paper need strong fresh fibres to function optimally for the end use.
Is it better for the environment to use only recycled paper?
Using recycled fibres in the paper industry is positive for the environment – but the reality is that paper can't be recycled forever. Each time the fibres are recycled, some break down and become too short and weak. So without new fibres coming into the circuit, the paper cycle can't be maintained.
Wood fibres - a wonderful renewable, recyclable natural resource
Paper is one of the world’s most recycled and recyclable materials. It is produced from a marvellous renewable resource: tiny wood fibres from trees that are sustainably managed using a circular approach.
In fact, about 50% of all fibres used for paper making worldwide are recycled fibres. This is a very positive aspect of the paper industry and there are few, if any, other global industries that have a better record of using recycled raw materials.
Recycling paper fibres is positive for the environment – but the scientific reality is that paper can't be recycled forever because the cellulose fibres eventually break down into dust, or fines, as they are called. Papermakers’ experience over many decades shows that for most grades of paper, the fibres can be recycled about 3-4 times. After that the fibres are too short to make quality paper. In Europe, the fibres were used 3.8 times on average in 2020, whereas the world average was 2.4 times, according to the European Paper Recycling Council, EPRC Report.
Thinner than a human hair
Papermaking fibres are tiny cellulose filaments with a thickness of only 40 micrometres (µm), much thinner than a human hair. They are also very short in length, 1 to 3 mm, which is about the diameter of a pin head. Each time paper is recycled, the sheet must be torn up and dissolved into the tiny individual fibres, using mechanical energy, water and chemicals in a giant blender to “repulp” it. This often breaks the fibres, making them too short to use. It also causes them to lose their stiffness, and fibres that are softer and more flexible is not great for paper production.
The image shows termo-mechanical processed pulp through a microscope. A close-up of the long cellulose filament called a papermaking fibre. After being processed and reused several times, the fibre becomes too worn out to function.
The weaker parts are filtered out
In the recycling process, the shorter, weaker and non-useful parts of the incoming paper which can’t be recycled – fines, clays, inks, coatings, staples, plastics – are filtered out in a screening process and rejected as sludge to be landfilled. In the average recycling plant, up to 30% of incoming material is unsuitable for paper making and will be lost as sludge instead of becoming new paper. Therefore, without new fibres coming into the circuit, the paper cycle can't be maintained.
Why the world can’t use only recycled paper
Fresh fibres are always needed in the circular process
So, we now know that fibres degrade each time they are recycled, meaning there are physical limits preventing recycled fibres from being used to a greater extent than they are today. Fresh fibres are always needed in the circular process.
It is also good to know that there are some clear quality and functionality advantages and reasons for using fresh fibre in certain grades of paper. Some grades can easily use 50 or even 100% or recycled fibres if the fibres used are of high quality. But some grades need to be completely fresh fibre based to meet quality demands in terms of performance and market requirements. Recycled fibres can’t give the paper the required properties. These properties include strength, brightness, bulk, opacity, printability, and many other technical characteristics. Sometimes the properties could be achieved, but at a too high cost, financially or environmentally.
Fresh-fibre paper has clear quality advantages
Fresh-fibre paper produced with Holmen Paper's pulping process is lighter and more porous than recycled based papers, with naturally high opacity and brightness. Fresh-fibre papers made in our process are thick, but light, which gives you advantages regarding both cost and environmental impact.
The lighter paper also means less weight for distribution and reduced CO2 emissions from transports. The high opacity is good for readability and lets you use a lighter, thinner paper, without issues with the content showing through to the next page.
Recycled paper production has higher carbon emissions
Even if it seems logical that recycled fibres must be better than fresh fibre in environmental terms, it's really not that simple. All pulp production methods have their advantages and disadvantages. So although paper recycling is a wonderful use of natural resources, it is not correct to say that it is always better. It depends on the production process, location, products being made and input materials that are being used.
In fact, an independent, peer-reviewed study by Environmental Resources Management concluded already in 2007 that when it comes to recycled fibres and fresh fibre: “Overall the results indicate that neither fibre type can be considered environmentally preferable. /.../ Intelligent and sustainable use of available fibre sources requires understanding the challenges associated with each fibre type and effectively managing the life cycle to minimise impacts and maximise benefits.”
A life cycle assessment study made by the Swedish Environmental Research Institute, IVL, in 2017 indicates that fresh fibre-based paper actually has a lower environmental impact than its recycled counterparts. The study concluded that fresh fibre-based paper, produced in Sweden, had significantly lower emissions compared with recycled fibre papers produced in Germany.
Similar findings were made in a recent third-party study of book paper by the publisher Penguin Random House, 2020. The publisher wanted to know the carbon footprint of paper from their main suppliers, and they also included manufacturers of recycled paper. Holmen’s fresh-fibre book paper from Hallsta paper mill in Sweden had the lowest CO2 footprint in the study.
So, make sure the materials you use are recyclable and choose reliable suppliers with low emissions. This way you will support a continuously improving recycling system for the future.
Containerboard papers
When comparing the average CO2 emissions from recycled-based mills and fresh-fibre-based mills in Europe, the emissions per tonne of paper produced are almost twice as high from recycled-based production. The emissions from Holmen's paper mills are are approximately 1/3 of the fresh-fibre based average – and only 1/6 of the recycled-based average. Source: Fisher Solve database by Fisher International, Q1, 2023.
Printing and writing papers
For printing and writing papers, Holmen's fresh-fibre paper mills emit less than 1/8 of the average CO2e emissions per tonne in Europe, no matter whether we compare to the fresh-fibre or the recycled-based paper mills. Fresh-fibre mills still have a lower emission average, 1,001 tonnes CO2e, than the recycled-based mills average, 1,080 tonnes CO2e. Source: Fisher Solve database by Fisher International, Q1, 2023.
The bottom line: Both recycling and fresh fibres are needed
The reality is that both recycled paper and fresh fibre paper are needed to cover the world’s demand for paper, and their production and usage complement each other.
Paper production and usage is a system of circularity – but it can be even better. When sourcing paper, buyers should demand transparency about environmental impact from the producer and use only products where it’s possible to fully trace the origins and the environmental impact.
In every step, a no-waste approach can guide both producers and consumers to better solutions that are also better for the Earth.
Author: Hugh O'Brian, pulp and paper industry technical writer
Sources and further reading
1. European Paper Recycling Council (EPRC) Report 2020. Report available for download.
2. Life Cycle Assessment of Tissue Products Final Report December 2007, Kimberly-Clark. Report available for download.
3. A life-cycle assessment of specialty paper, Swedish Environmental Research Institute, IVL. Whitepaper available for download.
4. How we ensure the paper in our books is sustainably sourced. Penguin Random House UK study, performed by independent consultancy Ethical Change. Text available on Penguin Random House website.
Text about the climate impact study on Holmen Paper website.
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