The flow diagram illustrates the sequential process of manufacturing new paper from timber and the subsequent recycling of used newspapers to create a sustainable production loop.
Overall, the process is a cyclical journey consisting of two main phases: the initial production of paper from raw wood (steps 1 to 6) and the recycling of consumer paper waste back into the production line (steps 7 to 10).
The process begins in the forest with the felling of trees. Once the logs are harvested, they are put into a drum where the bark is removed. Following this, the debarked wood undergoes chipping, a stage where it is fed into a chipper machine to be broken down into small wood chippings. In the fourth step, these chippings are transferred into a refiner for pulping, which transforms the solid wood into a malleable pulp.
The subsequent stages turn this pulp into the final product. During pulp pressing, the pulp is squeezed and flattened to form sheets of paper, which are then wound into large rolls (rolling). These paper rolls are utilized to print newspapers for public consumption. After use, these newspapers are collected and undergo an ink removal process. Finally, the de-inked paper is subjected to another round of pulping, turning it back into pulp. This recycled pulp is then reintroduced at the fifth step (pulp pressing), effectively restarting the cycle.