Processing wastepaper containing waxes, hot melts and adhesives

A method for processing waste paper, said waste paper including impurities selected from the group consisting of waxes, hot melts and adhesives, said impurities being present in said waste paper in a range of from about 0.1 to about 8 wt. %, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) pulping the waste paper into a slurry in a pulper, said pulping step occurring at a temperature of at least 60.degree. C., and with a high shear effect upon the waste paper in the pulper, said shear effect being sufficient to finely divide said impurities and to disperse said freely-divided impurities in said slurry, said waste paper in the pulper having a consistency of at least about 8%;
• (b) treating the slurry in further processing stages, said further processing stages comprising a deflaker, a grader and a hydrocyclone;
• (c) thickening the slurry from step (b) in a thickener at a temperature of maximally 50.degree. C. such that the impurities maintain firmness suitable for passage through a filter in said thickener, and filtering said thickened slurry through the filter such that a thickener filtrate is produced, said filtrate including about 80% of said impurities;
• and
• (d) cleaning said filtrate containing said impurities by at least one of microflotation, filtration or selective flotation.