DS Smith Showcased Major Steps in Cardboard Recycling

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): DS Smith- the leading European packaging company has unveiled a guide that showcases seven key steps in recycling cardboard collected from waste streams into new useful products. The recycling process protects the environment and prevents the material from ending up in landfills.

In order to convert the used boxes into new packaging, it must be ensured that the cardboard is kept separate from any other materials, which is known as source segregation. In the second step, cardboard is collected and transported via delivery vehicles to a recycling facility. Here, they are checked for contaminants and baled for transport. In the next step, these bales are transported to paper mills.

In Step 4, cardboards are fed into pulper, where cardboard is broken down by mixing it with warm water and fibres are separated. Next comes the paper making step where diluted fibres are pressed and dried into paper, which are then wound into large reels of finished paper. In the next step, these reels are shipped into a packaging plant, where they are made into cardboard.

In the final step, the paper is fed into the corrugator machine, which makes cardboard by fusing layers of paper together. The cardboard sheets, after being stamped with cuts and fold lines, could be used for making a wide range of useful products.