September/October 2001
Though old newspaper, or ONP, isn’t the most-recycled grade of paper (that distinction belongs to old corrugated containers), it does have the highest profile among the general public thanks to the well-known newspaper drives of community groups and the proliferation of curbside collection programs.
For years, ONP has represented about 19 percent of the overall tonnage of paper recovered annually in the United States, according to statistics from the American Forest & Paper Association (AFPA).
In 2000, about 9.3 million tons of ONP was recycled out of a total newsprint supply of 13.2 million tons, giving ONP a recycling rate of 71 percent, AFPA reports.
Of the 9.3 million tons of ONP recycled, around 60 percent—or 5.5 million tons—was used to produce new paper. The lion’s share—3.5 million tons, or 38 percent—went back into newsprint production, while 1.3 million tons, or 14 percent, was used to make recycled paperboard, AFPA figures show. Smaller tonnages of ONP were consumed to make other types of paper (see pie chart for more details).
ONP’s other markets include paper and nonpaper products such as molded pulp, construction and bulking materials, hydromulch, and animal bedding, which accounted for 19 percent, or 1.8 million tons, of ONP consumption in 2000, AFPA notes.
Also, the United States exported about 21 percent, or 2 million tons, of its recovered ONP last year.
Specifications
For a long time, there were only two specifications for secondary newsprint: news (postconsumer) and over-issue news (preconsumer). New grades emerged, however, following the introduction of the deinking process and as newspaper publishers added inserts and color.
Currently, ISRI’s Scrap Specifications Circular 2001 has four main specifications that cover newsprint grades of scrap paper. Three of these—numbers (6), (7), and (8)—are for postconsumer grades of ONP. The fourth specification—number (9)—deals with preconsumer newsprint.
In 1998, ISRI’s Paper Stock Industries Chapter made two important changes to the newsprint-related specifications. First, it renamed the (7) Special News specification to (7) News, Deink Quality. Second, it reduced the outthrow threshold for that grade from 2 percent to 1/4 of 1 percent.
The specifications are as follows:
(6) News
Consists of baled newspaper as typically generated from newsdrives and curbside collections. Prohibitive materials may not exceed 1%. Total outthrows may not exceed 5%.
(7) News, Deink Quality
Consists of baled sorted, fresh newspapers, not sunburned, containing not more than the normal percentage of rotogravure and colored sections. May contain magazines. Prohibitive materials—None permitted. Total outthrows may not exceed 1/4 of 1%.
(8) Special News, Deink Quality
Consists of baled sorted, fresh newspapers, not sunburned, free from magazines, white blank, pressroom over-issues, and paper other than news, containing not more than the normal percentage of rotogravure and colored sections. This grade must be tare-free. Prohibitive materials—None permitted. Total outthrows may not exceed 1/4 of 1%.
(9) Over-Issue News
Consists of unused, overrun newspapers printed on newsprint, baled or securely tied in bundles, containing not more than the normal percentage of rotogravure and colored sections. Prohibitive materials–None permitted. Total outthrows—None permitted.
Trends & Challenges
The good news is that demand for ONP continues to grow from both domestic and international mills.
The bad news is that it will become more difficult to recover the tonnage to satisfy that demand. Part of the reason is that ONP already has a high recovery rate of 71 percent and any incremental gains will be harder to make. Also, less ONP is being generated due to declines in the newspaper business, so the ONP market is facing increasing demand but shrinking supply.
Another problem is the growing popularity of single-stream curbside collection programs in which all recyclables are mixed together. This creates serious con-tamination problems in the ONP supply, which could work against efforts to increase the recovery of usable tonnage. •
Though old newspaper, or ONP, isn’t the most-recycled grade of paper (that distinction belongs to old corrugated containers), it does have the highest profile among the general public thanks to the well-known newspaper drives of community groups and the proliferation of curbside collection programs.