In the era of growing ecological awareness, almost each of us has heard about recycling . However, probably few of us wanted to delve into this topic on our own. The scant information circulating in the media certainly does not represent its exceptional importance. Our knowledge is often limited to the thoughtless segregation of waste into individual bag colors. Nevertheless, let's try to look at this problem from a different angle. Did you know that recycling not only means a significant reduction in environmental pollution, but also huge energy savings? Reprocessing waste paper allows you to save as much as 65% of energy compared to producing paper from scratch. Moreover, recycling just one ton of paper equals 20 trees saved that would otherwise have been destroyed.
The facts speak for themselves. The process of recovering substances from waste is a future solution and will undoubtedly continue to gain in importance. It is worth asking yourself how this is actually done? Why is recycling so important? We hope that our post will shed some light on this complex issue.
Recycling saves our planet.
Waste production and the related issue of waste storage are a pressing problem for humanity. Mountains of garbage flooding the environment lead to its degradation and disruption of entire ecosystems. In extreme cases, giant islands of garbage are created, such as in the Pacific Ocean. Let's look at some numbers. The average person uses 50 kilograms of paper per year, and this raw material constitutes one third of municipal waste. Moreover, almost half of the cutting of trees in the world is carried out for its production. On average, an average household throws away the equivalent of 3 trees in waste each year.
Our planet cannot afford such irresponsible behavior. By continuing to act in this way, we contribute to its increasingly rapid decline. Humanity's response to this problem should be thoughtful management of resources and widespread recycling . Reprocessing waste has undeniable benefits. By doing this, we can, to some extent, protect our planet from further degradation. Therefore, it is worth taking a closer look at what recycling looks like behind the scenes.
Paper recycling step by step.
We are not always aware of it, but the paper recycling process begins in our homes. Its first stage, i.e. waste segregation, is largely our responsibility. By throwing the paper packaging into the appropriate bag, we start a complicated sequence of events. After collection, waste is stored and grouped. Next, properly prepared packages of waste paper go to the processing plant, where the paper is shredded and fiberized. In this form, it is cleaned of food remains and other waste admixtures. The resulting mass is compacted and stored. 
The next stage is decolorization, which aims to separate the mass from the printing ink and adhesives. This process takes place in special chambers, where it is possible under the influence of air and chemicals. The product of these transformations is cellulose pulp, which, due to its brown color, does not yet resemble the paper we know. In order for it to become a raw material for the production of photocopier paper or wedding invitations, a bleaching process must take place. It takes place in vats, using chemicals such as peroxides, ozone and oxygen. It is also important that these substances can be neutralized in sewage treatment plants without any major problems. After drying, the paper is suitable for further processing and reuse.
Paper bags and other recyclable products.
Several thousand different types of products can be processed in the recycling process. We mainly associate them with cans or bottles. Paper waste that can be recycled includes: