By recycling, old paper can be used as recyclable material. If this technology is widely used, it will be possible to significantly reduce deforestation.
In addition, this will reduce the volume of household waste. In addition, this production method is not as expensive as others.
And although making it yourself does not require large expenses, everyone can thus make a small contribution to the conservation of natural resources.
What is made from waste paper? Here we can mention glasses, plates, napkins, containers for storing eggs, toilet paper, craft paper, insulation and much more.
Further in the material we will talk about how to make paper at home.
What are the ways to recycle waste paper at home?
By recycling, old paper can be used as recyclable material. If this technology is widely used, it will be possible to significantly reduce deforestation.
In addition, this will reduce the volume of household waste. In addition, this production method is not as expensive as others.
And although making it yourself does not require large expenses, everyone can thus make a small contribution to the conservation of natural resources.
What is made from waste paper? Here we can mention glasses, plates, napkins, containers for storing eggs, toilet paper, craft paper, insulation and much more.
Further in the material we will talk about how to make paper at home.
Where is the product used?
Edible paper is very widely used in cooking:
- for preparing rolls, rolls, pancakes, chips;
- edible photo printing for decorating cakes;
- for decorating various dishes;
- as packaging material;
- for the production of advertising brochures, business cards, even books.
Next, we’ll take a closer look at how edible paper is used.
Materials and tools
How are raw materials processed? It’s worth starting with what you will need in your work.
You don't have to use expensive equipment to recycle paper.
All materials and tools are available to everyone:
- scissors;
- kettle;
- a saucepan in which the crumbs will be soaked;
- blender;
- a small piece of material;
- frame with mosquito net.
Reprocessing materials without the use of special equipment is quite difficult.
Therefore, before you start recycling paper at home, it is worth learning simple rules and proceeding step by step.
Thus, you can make recycled materials from 1 sheet of paper for making cards, dishes and other things.
Working with plastic
It is also possible to recycle plastic at home. This will require a centrifuge , a vibrating screen, a crusher and a sorting conveyor. In addition, you need to stock up on a dryer, a washing container and a device for removing plugs.
The process begins with sorting. Waste plastic must be sorted according to color and shape. Next, the container should be crushed using a special installation. The finished mixture should be washed with warm water.
After this procedure, the material should be dried and granulated to improve the quality of the raw material. The most difficult thing in this process is the need to establish processing so that there is no equipment downtime.
Reprocessing Methods
If there are a lot of unnecessary paper sheets or newspapers left at home, do not rush and throw it away.
They are used to make cardboard, construction putties, and create papier-mâché crafts or wallpaper.
When craftsmen recycle waste paper, they use different methods.
The following describes the stages of working with soaked material:
- First, you will need to sort out the raw materials and chop them: tear them and then cut them with scissors.
- Afterwards it is poured into a container, water is heated in a kettle, and the contents are poured.
- Next, place the pan on the stove, wait until the liquid boils, and turn off the heat. Then you should wait until the water has cooled and stir periodically with a wooden spatula.
- Thus, when recycling waste paper, pulp is produced (cellulose mass, which is used in the manufacture of paper).
- Then different components are added to the mixture. The composition depends on what the artist will create from recycled paper.
- For example, when making cardboard, glue is added to the mass.
- The finished mixture is laid out on a uniform surface, then rolled out until it becomes thin. The edges are cut with a knife. The cardboard sheet will be dense, its surface will be rough.
How are materials recycled in other ways? To do this, the following manipulations are performed: the waste is crushed into small pieces, poured into a blender, water is added and ground to a paste. Then the moisture is decanted and evenly distributed on a mosquito net or sieve. After this, the composition is compressed under pressure and allowed to dry.
As a result, the sheets will be dense and can be used to make gift wrapping and other things.
For example, various crafts, decorative saucers, three-dimensional paintings, coasters for cups or other hot dishes.
It is advisable to start with simple examples and then move on to complex ones.
Papier-mâché: a technique that everyone has heard about, but few people know. Part 2
Part 1 can be viewed here>>
Paper pulp papier-mâché is made from soft paper, water and glue.
The process of preparing the mass is quite simple. The paper is crushed in a container with water using a mixer, excess water is removed through a colander, and paste or PVA glue is added to the remaining mass.
The paper is selected depending on the purpose that the author of the product sets for himself. If you use newspaper or magazine sheets, then in the finished product, if it is not covered with paint, printed fragments may appear here and there. If you use colored paper, the dried papier-mâché will take on the color of that paper. If the papier-mâché object will be painted, then it is wiser to use white or close-to-white paper to prepare the mass. The thicker the paper, the longer it must be kept in water: this will make it softer. The simplest option is gray toilet paper: it is ready for shredding immediately after contact with water and, due to its properties, is most suitable for mass. Do not try to soak or boil egg cartons: this is a futile exercise. These packages already contain glue that prevents the material from softening in water.
You can shred paper with a household mixer, food processor, drill with a special attachment, or just with your hands. If you are using a household mixer, it is safer to grind the paper in small batches. There should be enough water so that the blades (knives) rotate freely. When using a drill with a mixer attachment, you can grind paper in fairly large quantities. In the absence of electrical assistants, you can shred paper by hand. Of course, it will not be possible to shred the paper as finely and evenly as with a mixer. But the texture of dried papier-mâché can turn out to be unexpectedly interesting in this case. There should be enough water for soaking the paper so that all the paper is submerged. The warmer the water, the faster the process of softening the paper.
You can even “cook” the paper by placing the container on the fire. This will make the grinding process easier, since the paper will become much softer and make the color of the mass more uniform if the paper was originally taken in different colors. Paper should be boiled if it is thick. If you choose soft paper (napkins or toilet paper), then there is no need to soak it, but you can immediately fill it with water and shred it. When the paper is ground, excess water is removed from the resulting mass. To “squeeze” you can use a sieve, colander, or gauze. It is advisable to remove as much water as possible, since the liquid paper pulp slides off the mold, takes a long time to dry, and cracks form in it during the drying process. Glue (PVA, paste or wallpaper glue) is added to the pressed paper pulp in the approximate proportion of 1 part of glue to 5-6 parts of pressed paper pulp and mixed very thoroughly with the paper. Experience suggests that it is best to do this by hand. It is difficult to give more specific recommendations on the proportions of glue and paper. When there is a lot of glue (especially PVA), papier-mâché turns out to be very hard and further processing of the dried product is difficult. When there is not enough, the product may “crumble”. The required condition of the paper pulp can be compared with ordinary cottage cheese in packs. I also add acrylate (or any water-based) white putty. Add it in a small amount (1/10 part) to the finished mass and mix well. The putty “fills” the space between the lumps of paper and when dry, the surface becomes less textured. The finished mass is applied to the surface of the model in an even layer 4-5 mm thick. Try to press it to the surface with your fingers with equal force, smoothing out any bumps and dents that appear. After complete drying, the papier-mâché surface is not perfectly smooth. It has a characteristic texture, which depends on the quality of the “grinding” of the paper. The finer the paper was crushed, the less textured the surface.
In the next publication I will tell you about processing the dried surface of the product.
What is produced from waste paper
Before you find out what crafts can be made from cardboard, you should familiarize yourself in more detail with the industrial processing of this raw material. It is of great importance because it allows us to save the planet’s resources, reduce environmental damage, and reduce the cost of goods.
Some of the most popular products made from recycled paper include:
- craft paper;
- insulation;
- egg packaging;
- toilet paper and rolls for it;
- napkins, cups and other paper utensils;
- corrugated cardboard.
Kraft paper
When studying what is made from waste paper, you must first become familiar with the simplest and most popular product. This is craft paper. It can be made without special equipment; this is an excellent opportunity for recycling recyclable materials at home.
Ecowool
You can also make natural insulation from waste paper - ecowool, which is widely used. It is completely safe for human health and has excellent thermal insulation properties, which has made it incredibly popular.
It is made from waste paper, which is broken into individual fibers and mixed with fire retardants, as well as other additives. The result is an environmentally friendly material with low flammability, which is especially important for use in construction.
Egg packaging
When figuring out what is produced from waste paper, you should pay attention to the packaging used for packing chicken eggs. They are made of paper fiber, the basis of which is waste paper. Thanks to careful dissolution and removal of impurities, it is possible to create a completely safe and functional product.
Toilet paper
Often, enterprises recycle waste paper into toilet paper, which allows them to obtain high-quality products at low cost. There are many benefits to using recycled materials instead of wood pulp. These include the availability of such material, ease of processing and environmental friendliness.
The mass of paper waste is thoroughly crushed, after which it is dissolved into fibers and cleaned of various impurities. To solve the last problem, catchers are used, which are an integral part of pulpers. After this, all that remains is to use special equipment for producing paper and winding it onto cores.
Paper cups
The process of making disposable tableware, in particular cups from waste paper, is in many ways similar to the previously described manipulations. Raw materials used for contact with food are thoroughly cleaned, which guarantees the safety of the finished product for humans.
The introduction of disposable tableware into everyday life has become a real breakthrough, allowing many fast food restaurants to offer takeaway meals.
Paper napkins
Paper napkins are among the products that are used everywhere in everyday life. The process of their production is similar to the production of toilet paper, but the quality of the product directly depends on the equipment used and the type of raw materials. In most cases, wipes are produced after the source material has been thoroughly cleaned to strict sanitary standards.
Cardboard sleeves
Production from old paper is not limited to the above-mentioned types of products. Toilet paper rolls are also made from waste paper. This allows you to significantly reduce the volume of raw materials required for production, as well as reduce the cost of the finished product.
Corrugated cardboard
Corrugated cardboard is one of the most popular materials used for packaging a wide range of goods. For its production, waste paper of grades MS-6 and MS-7, as well as specialized additives, is used. During the manufacturing process, the mass is crushed and broken into fibers, after which it is cleaned.
Roofing cardboard
Waste paper products are also an excellent base for various building materials. An example is roofing glassine, which is thin and durable paper with special impregnation.
It can also be used in flooring as a vapor barrier material. Its use allows you to reliably protect wood from rotting, which makes roofing cardboard incredibly popular among home owners.
How to recycle paper yourself
Reprocessing paper products seems to be a rather complex process, which is not very easy to carry out at home without the use of special equipment. However, you can make new material out of it without any effort. Recycling waste paper into paper is carried out using simple manipulations:
- Shred paper waste into small pieces.
- Place the raw materials in a blender.
- Add water.
- Grind the prepared material to a mushy state.
- Strain out the moisture by evenly placing the waste paper on a sieve or similar object.
- Press the resulting mass under pressure and let it dry.
The result is rough and thick paper. It can be used for packaging and various creative ideas.
What can you make from waste paper at home?
In addition to craft paper, you can actually make a lot of crafts using recycled paper, which allows you to make good use of recycled material. First of all, these are various postcards, which can differ in the impressive thickness of the sheet, which will make them unique and non-standard.
Wet technology
Alternatively, you can process secondary raw materials using wet technology. Here are the main steps of this procedure:
- First, you need to dissolve the recyclables in a pulper. To do this, grind the material in water and separate it into fibers through a sieve.
- Next, you need to clean the mixture from impurities. Light impurities can be removed using vibration sorting, while heavy ones can be removed using purifiers.
- The next stage is the final clearance stage, for which entishtipers are used, that is, special equipment in the form of disk mills.
The last stage is the final purification of the finished mass. To do this, you can use conical vortex cleaners, in which the material goes through three stages of processing. The recommended concentration of raw materials for effective cleaning is 0.5%.
How to shred waste paper?
We want to start producing cat litter from waste paper. To do this, we need to make a trial batch. Naturally, we would not want to buy equipment to produce a trial batch. Please advise where and how to shred waste paper into small pieces up to 3 mm in size. sq.
I promise to provide the first sample of the product and a bottle of French wine for free to anyone who actually helps with solving this issue)
2metafora To be honest, the idea is not very good. Shredded paper is too messy, floats too easily, and doesn't absorb moisture well. Moreover, it has a bunch of foreign odors, which many animals may not like.
In general, for testing, you need an office paper shredder with a suitable cutting size.
For shredding, only paper without foreign impurities (paints, varnishes) is used; in addition, we plan to add a special filler to the mixture. Perhaps we will press the paper into cubes for greater weight.
In any case, before mass production begins, we plan to test the product on our own pets and find potential buyers
