PAPER RECYCLING - ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC-IMPACT

The Optimal Fibre Flow Model, a combined optimization and simulation m odel, calculates the optimal combination of energy recovery and recycl ing of waste paper for paper and board production. In addition, the en vironmental impact is estimated by using an environment load unit-inde x (ELU-index). The ELU-index assigns an environmental load value to em issions and to the use of non-renewable resources such as oil and coal . Given a 'forced' utilization rate for the Scandinavian forest indust ry, optimization of marginal revenue shows environmental impact to be at a minimum with a utilization rate of about 30% in Scandinavia and 7 3% (an assumed upper limit) for the rest of Europe. If instead environ mental impact is minimized, the utilization rate for Scandinavia is al most the same, while the utilization rate for the rest of Europe is 53 % (a lower assumed level). Given a fixed use of virgin fibres for the rest of Western Europe, a comparison of the environmental load at diff erent 'forced' utilization rates for the Scandinavian forest industry shows no significant differences between the economic and environmenta l optimizations. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.