CHLORINE FREE PAPER

For many years virgin fiber was bleached with hypochlorite - a compound that reacts with organic materials and may produce dioxins or its pre-cursors in the reaction.

Most virgin pulp mills have stopped using this chemistry and are substituting chlorine dioxide in the bleaching stages. This virtually eliminates dioxin and its associated compounds from the waste water. This process is called Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF). Some mills are totally chlorine free meaning they bleach with oxygen, ozone or peroxide. This process is called Totally Chlorine Free (TCF).