Paper Recycling Yield Calculator

Each stage's output becomes the starting weight for the next: moisture removal acts on the raw feed weight, contaminant removal acts on the resulting dry weight, deinking loss acts on what's left after contaminants, and process loss acts on what remains after deinking. Because each percentage applies to a progressively smaller base, a 5% contaminant loss and an 8% deinking loss don't simply add to 13% overall loss — the true combined loss is always a bit less than the sum, since later percentages are taken off already-reduced weight.

No — it's a fixed reference figure representing a rough midpoint for virgin kraft pulp pricing, not a live quote. The calculator uses it only to estimate savings by comparing your effective cost per ton of usable recycled fiber against that benchmark, so substitute your own current kraft pulp price and recompute manually if you need an accurate economic case.

Cost per ton usable is your total feed cost divided by usable fiber tons, not by feed weight tons. Since usable fiber tons is always less than feed weight tons because of moisture, contaminant, deinking, and process losses, dividing the same total cost by a smaller number necessarily produces a higher per-ton figure — you're effectively paying for the rejected material too.

Overall yield is usable fiber tons divided by original feed weight, expressed as a percentage. Real mills typically see 65-90% depending on furnish grade: old newspapers and mixed office waste tend toward the low end, while sorted white ledger and old corrugated containers tend toward the high end. Your specific result depends on the moisture, contaminant, deinking, and process loss percentages you enter for your own feedstock.