Paper Recycling-Its Impact On The Future Demand For Mineral Pigments

In North America, the paper industry is by far the largest consumer of coating and filler mineral pigments. Present use is at an annual rate of 5.5 million metric tons with a value of $660 million. Current estimates are 65 percent is used in coating and 35 percent in filler applications. During the past decade, the switch to alkaline papermaking has provided the opportunity to substantially increase filler levels while maintaining paper strength. As a result filler consumption has been growing at a late in excess of 15 percent yearly. Unfortunately, within a few years, mandated recycling could slow or even reverse this trend. The critical issue is finding an economically viable method for recycling the mineral pigment and/or minimizing the disposal problem