Genbrugspapir

Genbrugspapir, a Danish term for recycled paper, denotes paper material produced primarily from recovered fibres rather than from virgin wood pulp. It is manufactured from a mix of post-consumer waste (papers that have been used by the public) and pre-consumer scrap, depending on local recycling streams and quality requirements.

The production involves collecting paper waste, pulping, removing inks and coatings (de-inking), and refining the pulp before it is formed into new sheets or packaging products. Recycled paper is commonly categorized by grade, such as newsprint, office paper, and cardboard, and by the degree of recycling, including post-consumer recycled (PCR) and pre-consumer fibre content. The fibre quality influences brightness, strength, and printability, and some products mix recycled and virgin fibres to balance performance and sustainability.

Environmental aspects: Using genbrugspapir reduces the demand for virgin fibre, lowers waste going to landfills, and often saves energy and water compared with producing from new fibre, though energy use and chemical consumption vary by process and grade. De-inking and contaminants must be controlled to meet product standards. A key consideration is fibre length: multiple recycling cycles shorten fibres, which is why many products blend recycled with virgin pulp.

Applications and standards: Recycled paper is used for newspapers, printer and copier paper, packaging boards, and tissues. Certification schemes such as FSC Recycled, EU Ecolabel, and other national standards help verify recycled content and responsible sourcing.