PAPER making! FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF PAPER TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL ® FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF PAPER TEC Volume 12, Number 1, 2026
Removal of fillers and chemical reagents from waste paper for its sustainable use MAREK KUCBEL, 1 HELENA RACLAVSKÁ, 1 JANA RŮŽIČKOVÁ, 1 MICHAL ŠAFÁŘ, 1 PAVEL KANTOR, 1 ·KAROLINA SLAMOVÁ 2 & JARMILA DROZDOVÁ 3 Waste paper represents a valuable secondary source of cellulose fibres, contributing to the reduction of virgin wood consumption in paper production. To support sustainable development objectives, the integration of natural fibres with synthetic polymers is increasingly explored across industrial sectors. Reliable use of waste paper materials requires baseline data on pollutant content and migration potential. In this study, cellulose fibres were separated using 0.2M acetic acid (CH 3 COOH) extraction, followed by washing. This method effectively removed precipitated calcium carbonate-based filler from office paper, achieving an extraction efficiency of 86%. A total of 138 compounds were identified in waste paper, originating from: virgin wood (n = 31), paper manufacturing and recycling processes (n = 19 + 15 fragrance compounds), and printing inks (n = 67), with solvents (n = 25) forming the largest subgroup. Additional substances were associated with surface treatments and ink formulations. Compound hazard profiles were assessed using the Globally Harmonized System (GHS). The identified substances were, among others, persistent organic pollutants, including benzophenone, butylated hydroxytoluene, and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, bisphenol A, and bisphenol S, while solvents exhibited the highest proportion of hazardous classifications. Following CH 3 COOH extraction, concentrations of hazardous solvents were reduced by 93%, indicating the method’s potential for pollutant mitigation in fibre recovery. Contact information: 1 CEET/ENET Centre, VSB–Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, Ostrava Ǧ Poruba 70800, Czech Republic. 2 Institute of Foreign Languages, VSB–Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, Ostrava Ǧ Poruba 70800, Czech Republic. 3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Institute of Technology and Business in České Budějovice, Okružní 517/10, České Budějovice 37001, Czech Republic. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Volume 32, pages 25730–25753, (2025) https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-025-37133-5 Creative Commons Attribution License
The Paper Industry Technical Association (PITA) is an independent organisation which operates for the general benefit of its members – both individual and corporate – dedicated to promoting and improving the technical and scientific knowledge of those working in the UK pulp and paper industry. Formed in 1960, it serves the Industry, both manufacturers and suppliers, by providing a forum for members to meet and network; it organises visits, conferences and training seminars that cover all aspects of papermaking science. It also publishes the prestigious journal Paper Technology International ® and the PITA Annual Review , both sent free to members, and a range of other technical publications which include conference proceedings and the acclaimed Essential Guide to Aqueous Coating .
Article 2 – Recycling
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