# What are the emissions of a paper mill that de-inks waste paper?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/recycled-paper-deinking-emissions-per-tonne

A recycled paper mill pulps waste paper, removes ink by flotation and dries the sheet on steam cylinders. Steam for drying and electricity for pulping are the main sources. De-inking sludge going to landfill or boilers adds a waste line.

## Main sources

- Boiler fuel for drying steam.
- Electricity for pulpers, screens and the paper machine.
- Sludge disposal, in Category 5 if sent out.

## Biogenic part

If the mill burns rejects or sludge, the fibre carbon is biogenic. Plastic in the rejects is fossil.

## What Senseible does here

Senseible reads the plant's electricity bills (CEA grid factor 0.710 kg CO2 per kWh, CO2 Baseline Database version 21.0) and fuel invoices (IPCC 2006 defaults) into a fingerprinted Scope 1 and 2 record, the plant-level input to a per-unit figure. Bought-in materials go to the supplier evidence trail; product reports are self-declared drafts.

- [Agro-residue paper mill](https://senseible.earth/answers/agro-residue-paper-mill-biogenic-co2)
- [Kraft paper supplier data](https://senseible.earth/answers/box-maker-kraft-paper-supplier-carbon-data)

Sources: [GHG Protocol Corporate Standard](https://ghgprotocol.org/corporate-standard), [IPCC 2006 Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories](https://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/)

Last reviewed 2026-10-22.