Paper recycling is the process of manufacturing old paper products and turning them into new, reusable paper products. Recycling old paper products uses 60% less energy than manufacturing it from new materials.
Make sure you place your paper in the proper recycling bin at your home and office. It is then transported (by your city or you) to the local recycling center where it is gathered for the recycling process.
Making paper is a relatively easy process. Paper is made from trees, and every single part of the tree is either chopped up to make products or burned to create energy. If everyone in the U.S. reused a paper bag during their shopping trips about 60,000 trees would be saved and could be used to increase the flow
Paper makes up 28 percent of municipal solid waste, more than any other material Americans throw away. Because of this, recycling paper can greatly reduce the overall amount of MSW produced.
Paper that can be used to make recycled paper is broken down into three categories: mill broke, pre-consumer waste, and post-consumer waste.
What types of paper can be recycled?
Most recycling plants accept different kinds of paper for recycling. Some types of paper forms that are commonly accepted include:
- White and colored paper
- while and colored envelopes
- booklets or manuals
- fax or copy paper
- greeting cards
- Post-it notes
- Soft covered books
- manila folders
- magazines
- newspapers
- collapsed cardboard boxes
Why recycle?
90% of paper is made from wood. Paper production uses about 43% of harvested wood. Recycling newspaper saves about one ton of wood and recycling print or copy paper saves about two tons of wood.
Energy consumption is also reduced by recycling. However, the exact energy savings is still being debated. The Energy Information Administration claims that when paper is made with recycled paper, there is a 40% reduction in energy use, but the Bureau of International Recycling says that there is a 64% reduction. Regardless of which estimate is correct, both numbers represent a significant energy savings.
In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency has found that recycling paper causes 35% less water pollution and 74% less air pollution.
Recycling paper has substantial benefits on our eco-system and it is so easy to do. Many communities have a recycling pickup day just as they have garbage pickup days. Simply contact buy your recycling bins and contact your local waste management center to find out how to begin recycling in your community.
If you need economical, durable recycling you can add to in a space, or you need mobile on the move recycling, then the Snap Marketing recycling bin is a great new option.
