Green Technology: Last Developments in Enzymes for Paper Recycling, 2011 PaperCon Conference

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Application of Sustainable Development policies implies the application of green processes that reduce waste and pollution by changing patterns of production. Green processes are based on innovative ideas that generate alternatives to those technologies that can negatively affect the environment. Today, enzyme-catalyzed processes are gradually replacing chemical processes in many areas of industry because they save energy, water and chemicals, help to improve product quality, and furthermore they also give valuable environmental benefits.

Actually, the pulp and paper industry faces several problems such as a global pressure to reduce water consumption, to use more recycled fiber and to lower environmental impacts. From that point of view, the development of papermaking processes with low environmental impact finds in the use of enzymes a suitable option, especially when paper recycling is considered. Most operations of re-pulping, cleaning and processing secondary fibers involve the use of large quantities of chemical products, which makes the technology expensive and highly environmentally damaging.

Innovative ideas in enzyme production allow the commercial use of a green enzymatic biocide that replaces standard biocides in pulp & paper mills without negative effects on plant workers or the environment; a wide spectrum sterolytic product that eliminates the drawbacks caused by the very complex problem of stickies; an enzyme product that hydrolyze wet strength resins in recycling processes at paper mills and finally, a very complex enzyme formulation designed to clean and deink tissue furnish formulations containing mixed office waste, old magazines, old newsprints, box board cuttings and colored ledgers. This paper presents data obtained at tissue mills using those innovative enzyme products.