Pulp & Paper

The pulp and paper industry is a specialized field requiring special equipment for storage and other processes as wood is transformed into usable products. Different kinds of wood may be used to produce pulp, paper, and other paper-based products.

Processing Pulp for Paper

Wood pulp is fed into a machine where it is changed into paper with the water being removed as the paper is pressed and dried. Along with paper, manufacturers in this industry, produce a significant amount of wastewater. This water has a high level of chemical oxygen demand or COD as well as other contaminants.

North America, including both the US and Canada is the primary supplier of paper products, followed by northern Europe and East Asia. Many of the companies are both paper and pulp mills, which means they are integrated. In this case, the mill receives logs or chips of wood to produce the pulp first, then the paper products. In nonintegrated mills, a pulp mill stands alone and sends the pulp product to an outside paper mill.

Paper mills today require a significant amount of pulp, water and energy to develop the products. To create the final product requires a series of complex processes. Many of these processes have changed from decades ago to reduce the environmental impact from paper manufacturing.

One of the greatest issues comes from the rise of disposable paper and its impact on landfills. Government regulations have increased to deal with the negative impact on water, climate change and filling of landfills. The trend towards recycling has helped with some issues, but it causes other concerns for paper manufacturers as they must find eco-friendly ways of handling the paper to be recycled. For instance, de-inking the paper creates emissions because of chemicals that are released in the process.

Waste from Pulp and Paper Mills

Wastewater for the pulp and paper industry include solids, dissolved organic matter and nutrients as well as alcohols, and inorganic material. All of the wastewater and by-products of paper must be maintained in an appropriate storage container. Components for the de-inking process and other aspects of recycling paper must also meet regulations. Proper storage facilities are critical for the pulp and paper mill to maintain compliance with the EPA and other federal and state regulatory organizations.

If a paper or pulp mill is in need of large storage containers, which meet all industry regulations, they can rely on Great River Industries. We specialized in the pulp and paper industry and can build facilities that meet all regulations and exceed industry standards. We have become recognized as a leader throughout the Gulf Coast Region. We put safety and quality first in every project that we take on, which includes safety for our customers, employees, and the community at large. We can also work together to keep up to date on all regular maintenance to keep