Data Wyse frequently gets asked how environmentally friendly paper that is used by Wyse Data for book production.

Paper that is used by Data Wyse meets all environmental requirements nowadays are made of paper, ie meet minimum ECF (elementary chlorine free) license.

Seven questions and answers about the environmental aspects of modern papermaking

• How is paper-pulp affected?
• Pulp is almost always produced from wood chips. These consist of fibers (cellulose) that are held together by lignin. Wood also contains small amounts of resin and aromatic oils. That only the fiber to keep the wood free, because the fibers can no longer be seen that wood has served as raw material. The cellulose pulp is brown and should be progressively bleached.
• Why is it important to make pulp wood-free?
• Wood-containing paper aging rapidly, so is only useful for products with a short lifespan. If a newspaper a few weeks in the sun, the paper is discolored and it breaks when you bend. There was a time that for cheap books and documents, wood-containing paper was used. Many libraries are struggling so with major restoration and conservation problems because historically valuable books threaten to crumble. The removal of lignin and the resins is therefore essential in terms of sustainability.
• What is the environmental impact of woodfree pulp?
• Hardly. The chemicals are filtered and re-used. The residues will be incinerated by the heat and steam or electricity is produced. In modern paper mills the output of the recovery process is very high. Approximately 98% of the chemicals being used again. Some plants get 80% to 90% of their energy from its own residue.
• To make white pulp, it must be bleached. Is there chlorine in the bleaching process involved?
• No, that's a long time not so in Western Europe. In the past, traditional chlorine bleach par excellence. Chlorine was discovered in the 18th century and used as a bleaching agent in paper production, when people still used rags as raw material for paper. Initially contributed the bulk of the population without clothing coloring as dyed fabrics were very expensive. With rising prosperity, increased the amount of dyes in textile strength. When chlorine was the perfect way to remove color from the rags.
• Which is chlorine bleach been replaced?
• Because of the toxicity of chlorine, the industry switched to environmentally friendly alternatives. The current bleaches in the paper are oxygen (O2), ozone (O3) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In addition we used chloorhydroxide (CIOH). This compound contains a chlorine component, but is not toxic compounds to the environment. Modern industry is very responsible with these substances around. The water used in paper production that leaves the factory, at least as clean as the water came. The ingredients are continuously recovered and used again in the process.
• Is chlorine free paper with less environmental impact than paper chlorine?
• No, it makes no difference. Chlorine and chlorine are confusing terms. They do not blow on the paper itself, because there's no chlorine in any case. These are indications of the ways in which the pulp is bleached. Chlorine stands for ECF (elementary chlorine free) and say that no chlorine, but chloorhydroxide used. Chlorine-free is the same as TCF (totally chlorine free). This means that no chlorine and no chlorine compounds in the bleaching process have recently arrived. Extensive scientific studies, both in America and Sweden, have shown that the environmental impact of both processes is virtually the same, and very minimal.
• What are optical brighteners and how safe are they?
• In the market there is a growing demand for papers that are whiter than white. To achieve that effect after bleaching can also optical brighteners (OBA's = Optical Bleaching Agents) are added. This makes the detergent industry has long been used to make it look whiter (eg Reckitt's Blue). Although the materials themselves are not white, but blue or reddish, but they give the optical illusion that the paper is whiter. (Roll a sheet of bright white paper and look through the tube. Then a red or blue glow visible). The brighteners are extensively tested their harmfulness. They attach themselves firmly to the paper fiber. The advantage is that when they re-use of paper by courts to be chemically removed. In the paper recylcled retain their impact.

Adapted from "The environmental impact of bleaching and wood delivered" from "Paper speaks" of elder Modo Vang