What is the difference between virgin wood pulp and recycled wood pulp？

The differences between virgin wood pulp and recycled wood pulp used for dog pee pads mainly lie in fiber length, water absorption & diffusion, cleanliness, odor and batch stability. Details are as follows.

• Virgin wood pulp is made directly from fresh timber without prior usage.
• Recycled wood pulp is produced by re-pulping waste paper, paper trimmings and used paper products after secondary shredding.

• Virgin wood pulp features long, intact fibers and high bulkiness. After absorbing urine, it enables fast horizontal spreading, avoiding local oversaturation and liquid leakage. It has a stable structure and delivers excellent water-locking performance when combined with SAP.
• Fibers of recycled wood pulp are repeatedly broken, resulting in short fibers, many broken filaments and poor bulkiness. Dog pee pads made from recycled wood pulp tend to clump and disintegrate upon liquid absorption. At the same basis weight, their absorption performance is inferior to pads made of virgin wood pulp.

• Virgin wood pulp contains minimal impurities with no ink or adhesive residues. Puppy pads made from virgin wood pulp have a clean odor and low microbial content.
• Recycled wood pulp carries more residual impurities. It may develop mildew odor when stored in humid environments, with large fluctuations in microbial content between batches.

• Virgin wood pulp comes at a higher price. It has uniform bright white color and produces clean absorbent cores. Tianjin Yiyi can supply FSC-certified virgin wood pulp with compliant and sustainable timber sources to meet clients' forest traceability requirements.
• Recycled wood pulp has lower cost. It tends to be greyish with uneven whiteness and carries relatively higher hygiene risks.