What is Paper Towel Recycling?
Our Journey
Precycle NZ's paper towel recycling is proudly the first of its kind in NZ.
Our journey started with a mission to transform everyday waste into valuable resources for a more circular future. ReFib, by Nelson Harper and Caleb Payne from Precycle NZ, is our sustainable insulation product for the construction industry made from waste paper towels.
Since 2023, we have partnered and collected used paper towels from schools, gyms and offices that use large amounts of paper towels in Palmerston North. Through R&D, we've transformed recycled paper towels into innovative materials, preventing landfill waste. We're now moving from batch production to pilot scale, preparing to sell these sustainable products.
Why Recycle Paper Towels?
Paper towels are made mostly from trees and used just once before they are discarded, often to wipe hands or equipment. In landfills, they turn into methane and carbon dioxide, leading to climate change. From our research, paper towels account for 90% of all sports gym related waste, up to 10% of industrial food processing waste and up to 20% of general business waste. By recycling them, we can capture this valuable resource and reduce carbon emissions.
What can go in the bin?
Paper towels only please! While the odd bit of paper won't hurt the process, we will not be able to process paper towels that contain any foreign materials such as plastic, food scraps, large bits of cardboard, metal or other materials (even recyclable ones!). No paper towels with biological hazardous contamination such as blood will be accepted.
What happens to them?
We sort them into grades, with high grade paper towels being made into our innovative new construction materials. These materials are not currently available to the public in NZ but we hope to have them ready for sale in the next few years! Any low grade or heavily soiled paper towels are commercially composted, to avoid landfilling and carbon emissions.
We hand sort and weigh all paper towels. This ensures we have no contamination and can track the positive environmental impact accurately.
Is it actually better for the environment?
This project is reducing a lot of damage to the environment!
Every 100kg of paper towels recycled prevents the equivalent of between 88-274kg of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere! Not only this, but the use of paper towels in construction materials prevents more trees being chopped down, plastics being used in homes, and prevents other valuable recyclable materials (like glass) from being taken away from the recycling loop.
How do I get involved?
We are working directly with businesses and organizations that consume a lot of paper towels including schools, gyms, and offices.
In a recent survey, 100% of our clients feel our sustainable paper towel recycling service has POSITIVELY IMPACTED their waste management goals!
Get in touch with us at info@refib.co.nz to learn more about how your business can join our initiative and help reduce operational waste today!