Nearly 46 million tons of paperboard and paper were recycled in 2018 at a recycling rate of 68.2%. Since Americans use almost 650 pounds of paper yearly, recycling paper can save 100 million tons of wood! 

However, businesses have many questions: Can they recycle paper sheets with ink? How should they go about the process? Can you create direct mail items with recyclable paper?

This blog answers such questions, helping you better approach environmental sustainability and complete your Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Let’s begin!

Key Takeaways

• It is more challenging to recycle paper with ink than paper sheets without ink. However, it is not impossible because you can reuse several recyclable processes, like deinking, to reuse such paper.
• Businesses must prefer recycled paper for their direct mailing campaigns to achieve their CSR goals, save money, and improve their brand reputation. Since many prefer eco-friendly companies, focusing on environmental sustainability can be profitable. 
• Other recyclable processes include washing, floatation, and chemical pulping. They allow recycling centers to recycle paper at different levels.
• PostGrid’s Print & Mail solution allows you to use recycled paper and conduct sustainable direct mail campaigns at low costs!

Yes. Businesses can send paper sheets for recycling even if they have ink. Recycling processes help remove the ink by turning paper into pulp and placing it into a strong chemical solution.

Many paper add-ons, like plastic coating, prevent paper from being recycled because separating the paper from the plastic lining is challenging. The plastic coating doesn’t usually break down as quickly as non-coated sheets, so recycling companies have difficulty reusing paper with plastic add-ons. However, paper with a pen or standard printing ink can be easily recycled. 

Most paper with ink can be recycled, but some types are easier to recycle than others. Office paper and newspapers are usually easy to recycle, even with ink, because they are made from high-quality paper. The ink is often water-based, which makes it simpler to wash off.

However, glossy magazines and catalogs are harder to recycle because they have a shiny coating and use ink that can be tougher to remove. Some recycling plants can still recycle them, but it takes more work and energy than regular paper.

Please note that not all inks are the same. When recycling, water-based inks, often used for newspapers and some flyers, are easier to remove. Oil-based or solvent-based inks, sometimes used for brochures or business cards, are more challenging to clean off. Papers with inkjet or laser printers usually have water-based ink, making recycling easier.

Environmental Sustainability

Using recycled paper for direct mail helps protect the environment. It reduces the need to cut down trees, which helps keep forests healthy. Recycling paper uses less water and energy than making new paper from trees. It helps reduce pollution and waste going to landfills. 

Also, recycling paper helps reduce harmful greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. It is a simple way to reduce harm to nature while still sending crucial messages through direct mail. Choosing recycled paper for direct mail campaigns ensures your business supports environmental sustainability. 

Completing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Using recycled paper for direct mail helps companies meet their CSR goals. CSR means companies do their part to help people and the planet, not just focus on making money. Recycling paper shows that the company is trying to avoid waste, save natural resources, and cut pollution. It is a small but significant step to show the company is making better choices for the environment. Many companies today set goals to be more eco-friendly, and using recycled paper is an easy way to help reach those goals while still sending relevant mail to customers.

You can spread awareness about your CSR goals by printing information about how you recycle paper on your direct mail items. When recipients see your mailpieces with such details, they are more likely to support your business than those who do not recycle paper. 

Save Money by Choosing Recycled Paper Over Fancy, New Paper

Recycled paper usually costs less than fancy, high-end new paper because it takes less energy and fewer raw materials. Even though recycled paper is cheaper, it works well for printing and mailing. You can still create appealing, professional designs without spending extra. 

Businesses can recycle paper with ink for their direct mailing campaigns to reduce printing costs without losing quality. It is a simple way to stick to your budget while sending effective mail to your customers. 

Improve Brand Reputation

When people see your business using recycled paper for direct mail, they know you are trying to reduce waste and protect natural resources. This can help people feel more positive about your brand and trust you more. Even small steps like recycling paper with ink can show that your business is aware and responsible. A better reputation can also help attract more customers who prefer buying products and services from eco-friendly companies. 

Handle Mail Returns Effectively

Businesses with a recycling program can better handle direct mail returns. Otherwise, they might have to discard hundreds or thousands of items yearly. Instead, they can send this paper for recycling, regardless of whether it has ink, ensuring they cut their carbon footprint. 

They can use this recycled paper to print invoices, statements, bills, receipts, contracts, sales orders, etc. Also, they can conduct other marketing campaigns using recycled paper to reuse resources and reduce the impact of their mailings on the environment.

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There are several processes to recycle paper with ink and use them again for other activities. Here are some examples you should know:

Deinking

Water-based inks are easier to remove, but oil-based inks need more work. After the ink is gone, you can convert the clean pulp into new paper products. This process helps save trees, water, and energy while turning old paper into something useful again.

One crucial part of recycling paper with ink is the deinking process. It is how recycling plants remove ink from old paper to make clean new paper. First, they mix paper and water to turn it into a soft, mushy pulp. Then, their special machines use bubbles, filters, and chemicals to pull the ink out of the pulp. 

You should also know about chemical deinking, in which special chemicals are added to the wet paper pulp. These chemicals help break the ink into tiny pieces separate from the paper fibers. The ink pieces float up or sink, making them easier to remove. This process helps eliminate rigid inks, like those used in magazines or brochures. Chemical deinking also helps make the pulp cleaner so it can be used to create new paper.

Floatation

Recycling centers blow air bubbles into the mixture after turning the paper into wet pulp. The ink sticks to these tiny bubbles and floats to the top, where you can remove them. It helps pull the ink away from the clean paper fibers. You can then use the clean pulp to make new paper products. This process removes small ink particles, especially from newspapers and office paper. Flotation helps recycling plants make cleaner recycled paper without wasting too much water or energy.

Washing

In this process, the paper is mixed with water and turned into soft pulp. Then, the pulp is washed with more water to rinse away the ink. The ink and other dirt are washed out, leaving behind clean paper fibers. This process works best for larger ink pieces, like printed text or pictures. Washing helps make sure the recycled paper is clean enough to turn into new paper products. It is a simple but significant step that allows recycling centers to reuse more paper and reduce waste.

Mechanical Pulping

Recycling centers use machines instead of chemicals to break down old paper with ink into pulp. They mix the paper with water and then shred and grind the mixture into tiny fibers. This method keeps most of the ink in the pulp, so it’s usually best for products like cardboard or paper towels where perfect whiteness isn’t necessary. 

Mechanical pulping is faster and uses less water and chemicals, but the recycled paper is not as bright. It helps make strong, everyday products from recycled paper, reducing carbon emissions and saving energy.

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At PostGrid, we believe every business can help protect the environment. That’s why we are working hard to make our direct mail services eco-friendly and sustainable. We want to reduce our impact on the planet while helping businesses connect with their customers.

One of our biggest goals is to become 100% carbon neutral by 2025. It means we will balance all the carbon we produce by supporting projects that remove or reduce carbon from the air. We participate in projects such as planting trees, protecting forests, and supporting renewable energy programs. Companies can reach their customers by choosing PostGrid for direct mail while also helping the environment. We have partnered with groups like Forests for All Forever (FSC), One Tree Planted, and Carbon Neutral to meet our sustainability goals and create a greener future for everyone. The best part is that you can easily sign up and start using PostGrid’s Print & Mail solution. We help you handle everything from design and printing to shipping and tracking online, letting you reduce manual efforts and save internal resources. 

Here are some more of our features you must know about:

1. Pre-designed templates: Businesses can use our HTML and PDF templates to design their mail artwork without hiring a graphic designer or buying paid templates.
2. Variable data printing: It allows you to create personalized mailpieces according to your customers’ preferences, buying habits, geo-demographics, etc.
3. Address verification: Standardize and validate your intended recipients’ mailing addresses before every campaign to ensure your items arrive at the correct destinations. 
4. Per-piece tracking: You can stay informed about your mailpieces’ delivery statuses by checking your PostGrid dashboard. It gives you a consolidated view of all sent items, letting you know how your campaign is progressing.
5. Campaign insights: Businesses can view and download their mailing campaign’s reports and analytics to collect data for future marketing activities. It is the best way to know how your customers responded and what you can do better!

Contact us now to get more details and conduct sustainable direct mail campaigns!