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Al-Bahir Journal for Engineering and Pure Sciences

Abstract

It has been clearly demonstrated that it would be feasible to consider recycling paper in an academic institution. This can be achieved through combining specific waste paper baskets, a pulping machine and power supplied by a renewable energy source, with an already established local paper making company. The paper making company would be able to gain a subsidy from the government which pays them to actually recycle paper, to counteract the cost of the pulped paper which is 30% more expensive than raw wood pulp. The academic institution would save money on waste disposal and decrease its carbon footprint by 600% with savings of up to around 5-6 tons of CO2 per year, instead of the 1-2 tones carbon offset for just recycling the paper normally. This entire process could be adapted for recycling the vast quantities of waste paper produced by students, an initiative which often fails due to the high cost of disposal. This could be achieved through urged use of the same paper disposal methods already in use, with the paper being collected and pulped once a week directly from the student paper waste bins. This research aims to study and limit the quantities of paper consumed in academic institutions in Iraq, by identifying the steps of recycling, and the extent of its environmental and economic impact, on the one hand, and on the other hand, the extent to which the Iraqi university community accepts this idea, and then study these quantities and evaluate them economically and find out the possibility of establishing a paper recycling plant based on these quantities. As well as the current research deals with the accumulation of paper waste caused by the performance of exams. In the third semester of the research , the amount of paper waste at Thi Qar University was calculated as a model for conducting a detailed research study of all departments and colleges of the University.the amount of paper waste was (11,055 tons/ year), as well as calculating the cost of paper processing for the University amounted to (126252271 Iraqi dinars) and at the end of the third semester, the amount of paper waste in Iraqi academic institutions for the academic year 2022-2023, approximately (367,60976 tons/year). The cost of preparing exam books in Iraqi academic institutions for the academic year 2022-2023 amounted to approximately (4202150971 Iraqi dinars). The devices used in the practical aspect and each device and its purpose in the paper waste recycling process were explained. In addition, in the fourth chapter of the research, waste recycling was carried out in a practical way, and the results were satisfactory.we proposed a project to establish a paper and cardboard waste recycling plant in Nasiriyah, detailing its technical processes and stages in a mature way, the costs of establishing such projects in detail, as well as the annual profit of the project. At the conclusion of the research, some important recommendations were attached that help the paper waste recycling process and its success.

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