Paper – Still The Easiest Material to Recycle on The Planet

Only in the United States, Americans use 85 million tons of paper a year and American businesses use around 21 million tons of paper. If all that paper was recycled, we could save 100 million tons of wood each year. According to some estimates, recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees, 4,100 kilowatts of energy which are enough to power a typical home for six months, 3.2 cubic yards of landfill space, and 60 pounds of pollutants.

1. Benefits of recycling to the environment

Recycling is one of the most effective ways that we, as humans, can try to make a good impact on the environment we live in. Recycling not only helps to minimize the pollution of hazardous chemicals and greenhouse gases emitted into the environment by trash, but it also lessens the demand for raw materials, allowing rainforests and other natural resources to be conserved. Therefore if you intend to recycle, start with paper!

minimize the pollution of greenhouse gas

2. Separate non-recyclable & recyclable items

There is a new term in recycling that few people know is “wish-cycling”. This word means when people toss questionable items, such as bikes, batteries, basketballs, etc. into the recycling bin and hope they can be recycled. In fact, these items not only cannot be recycled through traditional channels, but they also seriously jeopardize the infrastructure for recycling the millions of tons of material that can and should be recycled into new goods.

If we define “litter” as “to scatter about in disorder,” then throwing goods like that is just as bad as tossing them on the side of the road. That is the reason why some governments encourage their citizens to separate non recyclable items with paper before putting them away. This way can cut down on the number of money communities spend on rubbish collections and other services.

garbage classification

3. Recycling in the near future

It is not glass or plastic or steel, but paper that is the most recovered material for recycling in municipal solid waste streams in great quantities every year. According to the EPA, 68.2% of plastic was recycled and repurposed in 2020. Furthermore, a growing number of paper items, such as pizza boxes, coffee cups, and cartons, are being added to the list of paper products, which helps local governments collect and handle easier. This is coordinated by an expanding commitment to new infrastructure.

There are many ways to recycle paper at home. We can still use recycled paper as mulch if we don’t have time to create one ourselves. Tear it into little strips and use them to wrap around our plants. Recycling paper in this manner helps to keep our garden soil wet while also adding nutrients. Instead of using microfibre cloths, we now can use newspaper to get windows to shine and be streak-free.

recycle preserve resources

Some people also utilize paper packaging and old newspapers to bulk up boxes when packing goods for a move, storing items, or delivering gifts to friends. The best way to protect your valuables is to wrap fragile objects in newspaper and scrunch up other items of used paper or cardboard. Alternatively, you can use old paper to come up with some smart and creative DIY present wrapping ideas.

Now that you are up to speed on the easiest material to recycle on Earth. Why not share your recycled paper observations and results with us? From shelf lining, cat litter box liners to insert traps, every little thing you can keep out of a landfill helps. You can check out new information about paper industry here, or contact us for more information.

Contact Us