The Former Fusion Paperboard Plant (Part 2)

 




Welcome back to our journey through Fusion Paperboard. In this second part of the series, we dive deeper into the lower level of the cardboard recycling plant, where a maze of pipes crisscrosses every corner. Water, steam, and colorful conduits weave through the facility, each one carrying energy, waste, or essential materials to keep the plant running.


The sludge ponds were one part of the property I never explored up close. Tucked away in the upper left corner of the site, far from the main facility, they never felt like a must-see. They were too far out of the way during my visit.


Upstairs, two large stainless steel machines caught my eye—massive steam cylinders. Unfortunately, I never got a good shot of them. I remember taking a photo, but when I reviewed my archives later, I realized the image was ruined by overexposed light from the midday sun. I meant to retake it, but at the moment, it slipped my mind. It’s easy to lose track of time when you're surrounded by the endless details of a place as fascinating as a paperboard plant.


One of the most fascinating parts of the Fusion Paperboard plant was the massive hydrapulpers—also spelled hydropulpers, depending on whom you ask. If you’ve ever stepped inside a paper mill, you’ve probably seen one of these towering machines on a lower level encased in darkness.

























Hydrapulpers are giant mixing tanks used to break down materials like recycled paper, discarded scraps from the mill, and purchased pulp into a watery slurry. This mixture becomes the raw material for making new paper products. It’s a simple but powerful process. High-lignin pulps and dry paper need more energy to break down, but hydrapulpers handle the challenge with ease.


Here’s how it works: Fibrous materials are dumped into a large tank, where a rotor spins the mixture, breaking everything apart. Sometimes, hot water or chemicals are added to help dissolve the paper fibers more efficiently.


But breaking down the paper is only half the battle. These machines also clean the slurry. “Raggers,” which are circulating wires, catch and remove debris, while “junkers,” which act like bucket elevators, collect heavier trash like metal scraps that get pulled to the side by centrifugal force. The clean pulp flows out from the bottom, while impurities like plastic bits, bolts, and other unwanted items are removed from the sides.


The best part? Using recycled paper for pulp saves a lot of energy compared to making pulp from fresh wood. Modern technology has made recycled fibers just as good as new ones for almost every type of paper—except for the highest-grade papers that still rely on long fibers for their strength.


Hydrapulpers may not be the flashiest machines, but they’re a vital part of making paper recycling efficient and sustainable. And at Fusion Paperboard, they worked tirelessly to keep the cycle going.


Pulp, paper, and paperboard plants produce a surprising amount of waste—about 35% of the raw materials used in production end up as residue. This waste includes everything from wastewater sludge and woodyard debris to chemical byproducts. And as the industry leans more on recycling, managing waste has become even harder. Mills and plants that use recycled paper (also called secondary fiber) create much more sludge than mills that rely on virgin fiber, making waste disposal a growing challenge.




























With landfills filling up fast and becoming more expensive, paper mills are under pressure to find better ways to handle their waste. Many are turning to options like incineration, landspreading, and recovering materials from the waste stream to stay both environmentally friendly and cost-effective.


Sludge is one of the biggest byproducts of making paper, created during wastewater treatment. There are two main types: primary sludge, which is mostly solid residue from the first round of treatment and is easier to dry out, and secondary sludge, which comes from biological treatment and is harder to manage.


The type of sludge produced depends on the mill. Mills and plants using virgin fiber create a sludge that’s rich in organic material and low in ash, making it better suited for incineration. On the other hand, recycling mills and plants face more challenges. Their sludge has higher ash content because of leftover inks and fillers, which lowers its heating value and makes disposal more difficult. These mills and plants also deal with additional waste like plastics, metal, and other contaminants from the deinking process.


As recycling becomes more common, managing waste efficiently and sustainably is becoming a critical issue for the pulp and paper industry. Finding solutions that balance environmental responsibility with economic practicality will shape the future of paper production.


For most pulp and paper mills, landfilling is still the go-to method for waste disposal, with about 69% of mills relying on it. But this option is becoming less practical as environmental rules tighten and landfill costs rise.





























Incineration is another method used by around 21% of mills. It helps reduce waste volume and even recovers energy in the process. But there’s a catch—it requires expensive pollution control systems to keep harmful emissions in check, making it a costly choice for many facilities.


Some mills, about 8%, use landspreading, where sludge is applied to land as a soil conditioner. This method is seen as more environmentally friendly, but it comes with its own set of challenges. Concerns about heavy metals, toxins, and the risk of water contamination can limit how widely landspreading can be used.


There are other creative ways to handle paper mill waste, too—like using sludge in construction materials or even as animal bedding. But these options aren’t widely adopted yet, mainly because there isn’t a large enough market for these materials.



In our final installment of this three-part series, we’ll explore one of the most overlooked areas of the former Fusion Paperboard plant: the wastewater treatment facility. It’s a unique place where history, industry, and nature come together in surprising ways. šŸŖ“


If you missed Part 1, you can check it out here: The Former Fusion Paperboard Plant (Part 1).

































































































Sources:


1. Bajpai, P. (2018). Biermann's Handbook of Pulp and Paper (3rd ed.). Elsevier.

2. Bajpai, P. (2016). Pulp and Paper Industry. Elsevier.

3. Mleziva, M. M., & Wang, J. H. (2012). In Polymer Science: A Comprehensive Reference. Elsevier.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Inside the Old Remington Munitions Factory

Image
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to visit the Remington Munitions Factory three times, each visit a unique experience. The first time, I ventured there alone, driven by curiosity to explore what remained of the once-bustling industrial complex. Back then, the neighborhood was far from welcoming, and my solo exploration felt risky. However, the allure of the factory’s history and its remnants was too strong to resist. Upon arrival, the decay was evident. The complex was a shadow of its former self, ravaged by time and neglect. Scrap metal scavengers had stripped the buildings of valuable copper, steel, and iron. Every surface was a canvas for graffiti, a mix of juvenile doodles and more elaborate street art left by local kids and adventurous visitors. A fire in 2017 had already claimed part of one building, and the area had a reputation for violence, with frequent assaults and shootings on Barnum Avenue. Despite the deterioration, the factory had a certain haunting beauty, esp...
Read more

Former Yonkers Teutonia Hall to Become Residential Towers

Image
Teutonia Hall stands as a testament to Yonkers’ vibrant cultural history, a beacon of community spirit since its inception. Erected in 1892 by the Yonkers Leider Kranz Society, a German-American organization founded in 1856, this historic venue was initially built as a music and literary hall. At $32,000—a considerable sum at the time—Teutonia Hall was more than just a building; it was a community hub, equipped with bowling alleys, a billiard room, committee rooms, a dining room, and a grand assembly hall. In the early 20th century, Yonkers, like much of the United States, was a mosaic of ethnically distinct neighborhoods. Immigrants from various backgrounds clustered together, fostering close-knit communities that mirrored their homelands. This clustering was not merely for comfort; it was a practical strategy for survival and success in a new country. Social clubs, brotherhoods, and houses of worship emerged as cornerstones of these communities, providing essential support and a sens...
Read more

Rocky Hill Connecticut Foundry Company

Image
If you find yourself driving down Meadow Road in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, there’s not much left to catch your eye. The area, once a bustling hub of industry, has quieted down to little more than a stretch of road with a few remnants of its past. But one sight still stands out: three towering concrete silos, the last visible relics of what was once the Connecticut Foundry. It is rumored the silos were used to store cement during the construction of the I-91 when it was built in the early 1960s. These silos, weathered but steadfast, are all that remain of a 10-acre property that was once home to a sprawling industrial site. The Connecticut Foundry, which officially closed its doors in 1983, was demolished nearly 30 years later, its decline documented in pieces. Based on old photographs and archived Google Street View images, the foundry was gradually taken apart over the course of 2012. By the summer of that year, only a few structures lingered before the land was cleared entirely, leavi...
Read more

St. Michael and St. Edward Church: A Cornerstone of Fort Greene

Image
For weeks, I had been orbiting the perimeter of the impending demolition of the Church of St. Michael and St. Edward, a once revered church in the heart of Fort Greene, like a moth drawn to a flame. The neighborhood, a patchwork of tight project housing, seemed indifferent to the fate of this historic edifice. The intel I had received suggested that entry was as simple as scaling a wooden fence, yet the timing had never felt right. Until one day, it did. With a mission in New Jersey looming, I knew it was now or never. The demolition was advancing at a startling pace, the church's twin steeples already reduced to rubble. The skeletal remains of timber beams and rusted steel frames peeked out from the ruins, a testament to the relentless march of progress. Summoning a surge of courage, I seized a moment of quiet in the bustling housing project and vaulted over the fence. My heart pounded in my chest as I slipped unnoticed into the church grounds. The once grand entrance now stood as...
Read more

Echoes of the Oven: The Legacy of Nicetown Freihofer's Bakery

Image
Six years ago, I embarked on an exploratory journey through the forgotten corridors of a place whose name was unknown to me then. Only recently, with a bit of help, I unraveled the mystery: this place, archived in my memory and on my hard drive, was the Freihofer Baking Company. This discovery rekindled a special connection in my heart, remembering my early days in urban exploration in Philadelphia. It was here that I first tasted the thrill of exploring abandoned buildings, a passion that soon had me crossing state lines in search of that exhilarating, novel feeling once more. The neighborhood surrounding the Freihofer Baking Company was a stark canvas of socio-economic hardship, a desolate space that spoke volumes of its forgotten glory. I remember vividly the day I ventured there. Agile and swift, I maneuvered over a wall of large rectangular stones – a barrier against scrappers seeking to plunder valuable metals. These stones were a gateway to the past, leading me to the nearest op...
Read more