If you are considering the idea of recycling more of your waste, you may be asking yourself “What are the different grades of paper?” It is important to be able to recognize these different grades of paper so that you can separate non-recyclable material from recyclable waste. The following are the five basic grades of recyclable paper.
1. Old Newspapers (ONP): These will often be recycled back into paper for news content or for paperboard and tissue.
2. Old Corrugated Containers (OCC): This type is also known as corrugated cardboard and will be turned into shipping boxes or paperboard for products like cereal.
3. High Grade Deinked Paper: This category is made up of paper that has gone through the printing process. This includes printed paper, letterheads, envelopes and paper scraps that have gone through the printer. In order to be recycled, it must first be deinked so that it can be turned into printing and writing papers and tissue.
4. Pulp Substitutes: You won’t have this type of paper lying around your home. These are the shavings and scraps left over at paper mills. Paper mills can often use these instead of fresh pulp to create their high-grade papers.
5. Mixed: This category is fairly broad. Pieces of paper that are included in the category include: mail, paperboard, telephone books, catalogs and magazines. These types of paper can be used in the production of paperboard and tissue or as a secondary fiber in producing new paper. In addition, mixed recyclable paper can be used as a raw material in non-paper products, like molded pulp, gypsum wallboard, roofing felt, chipboard, and egg cartons.
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