Georgia-Pacific’s in-house think tank has developed and patented a new processing technology, dubbed Juno, that the company claims can separate wood fiber from plastics, metals and other materials in the waste stream and sanitize it for use in the pulping process.
The new technology has already been piloted on a small scale at a plant in Savannah, Georgia, with encouraging results: Containerboard made with fiber reclaimed using the Juno process “looks and feels just like what we make from wood chips and OCC,” said company spokesman C.J. Drake.
In Toledo, Georgia-Pacific plans to build a commercial-scale demonstration project capable of processing 300 tons of waste a day. Georgia-Pacific is in the process of applying for permits for the project from the state Department of Environmental Quality. According to DEQ officials, GP will need a solid waste material handling facility permit as well as modifications to its existing air and water emissions permits. GP hopes to have the demonstration plant up and running by early 2020.
If the Toledo demonstration project is successful, Drake said, Georgia-Pacific might also consider another use for Juno — licensing the technology to recyclers looking for a better way to sort materials.
Read the full story at https://democratherald.com/news/local/gp-to-test-new-recycling-process/article_464da15c-5bec-5b8d-90fe-14da14786f89.html.