In addition to its standard precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) filler products, Specialty Minerals Inc. (SMI) has also developed a process to manufacture a PCC filler made with materials recovered from the paper recycling process. This product, Envirofil™ PCC, allows a customer to reuse material typically considered to be a waste product.

Facilities that recycle paper must separate the reusable paper fibers from the ink, glue, dirt, and chemical compounds (including the inorganic fillers and coatings) found in the various sources of recycled papers. The material that is removed is burned at the paper mill to recover the heating value of this waste. After burning, the ash is then often sent to a landfill.  

Specialty Minerals, a subsidiary of Minerals Technologies Inc., has developed a process to reuse the ash and return this to the paper process as a filler material. This process allows SMI to recover mineral products, increase the recycled content of paper, and reduce the amount of material destined for the landfill.