A new Israeli invention is taking recycling to the extreme, turning bits found in sewage water into paper.
In a report by Ynet News, Dr. Refael Aharon of Applied CleanTech explained that 10% of drainage coming out of homes through pipes is comprised of “solid substances” such as food leftovers, toilet paper, and fiber from laundry machine cycles. Up until now, the filtration of those substances out of the system in order to recycle the water has been expensive.
With Applied CleanTech’s new system, half of Israel’s solid substances will be filtered out , dried, purified and sanitized and turned into cellulose, which will then be turned into paper. The process will also reduce electricity and chemical costs for purifying water.
One such program is already in place in southern Israel, according to the report, where paper is being reduced at rates far below that of traditional recycled paper.