We’re proud producers of 100% recycled toilet paper and this has come with some people questioning how recycled toilet paper is made. We get it, when you read “recycled toilet paper” you may conjure up this idea that we’re recycling toilet paper but that’s just not possible. Toilet paper is by design made to break down when it comes into contact with water in your septic system so that it doesn’t clog things up.
We thought we’d help all those considering making the change to recycled toilet paper by explaining how it’s made.
Steps involved in making recycled toilet paper
Recycled toilet paper is made from the paper and cardboard products you toss into your recycling bin. This means there is a mix of coloured and white paper that goes into making recycled toilet paper.
1. Create the pulp
The first step is making the paper pulp, which is where all the recycled paper products being used to create the toilet paper is put into a large bin with warm water. This is done to wash the paper of any ink or dyes that may be in the recycled paper products. Air bubbles are injected into the water to help precipitate the process and push the ink rise to the surface in a foam which is removed with a skimmer.
2. Make it white and make it paper
Now the washing tends to take out a lot of the ink and dyes of the recycled paper products but not all of it so bleach is used to strip the products of any of the final bits of dye and colour. The paper pulp is also whitened and sanitised using oxygen-based products like peroxide. This is also when it enters the paper forming section.
3. Remove the moisture
The wet paper is placed between rolls and felts to remove the water. The moisture level is reduced to the desired level and the pulp is laid on a large, flat surface to dry. The paper may also be run through a dryer to help it dry and make it the delicate paper we know toilet paper to be.
4. Stamp it to strengthen the paper
The paper is stamped and embossed to increase the strength there may be small marks left on the final toilet paper from the embossing. The giant thin sheet of paper is then fed onto a roller.
5. Create the ply of the toilet paper roll
To create a two-ply roll of toilet paper two of the large rolls created in the above step is put onto a single roll together. To create three-ply, which is what Squares to Spare recycled toilet paper rolls are, you use three rolls. This roll is rolled onto a cardboard tube which will end up being the toilet paper roll.
6. Make it stick and cut it up
The paper on the large roll is cut and glued by a mechanical arm to prevent unravelling. The long rolls are then cut up by a circular saw to make the individual rolls we have in our homes.
7. Wrap it up, pack it up and send it out
The final step is wrapping the individual rolls of recycled toilet paper in the paper wrapping we use and then packing in the boxes ready to ship to you!
So that’s how recycled toilet paper is made. It’s a similar process to virgin pulp toilet paper. The only difference is the first few steps to making recycled toilet paper, to remove the dye. If you want to give recycled toilet paper a try, grab some in our shop.
Leave a comment: