Paper waste and recycling 411
“Prefer paper to other materials, as it can be recycled”. But how many of us really know about paper waste and its recycling?
Evelyn mentioned the other day that if she has to buy something made of paper, then she would like to buy the item made of recycled paper. She said that making paper is one of the main reasons that forests are taken down. Trees along with plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air and provide oxygen. So I decided to look into the recycling world of paper and paper waste.
A useful but wasteful product…
These days paper is an everyday natural material, we all use it and take it for granted. Moreover, we are using it more and more each day, creating lots of paper waste. Though it is a recyclable material, paper still makes up almost half of the waste in the U.S.
Kind people at theworldcounts.com have put together a very informative list of the facts on paper and paper waste:
- As we speak, more than 199 tons of paper has already been produced.
- 324 liters of water is used to make 1 kilogram of paper.
- 10 liters of water is needed to make one piece of A4 paper.
- 93% of paper comes from trees.
- 50% of the waste of businesses is composed of paper.
- To print a Sunday edition of the New York Times requires 75,000 trees!
- Recycling 1 ton of paper saves around 682.5 gallons of oil, 26,500 liters of water and 17 trees.
- Packaging makes up 1/3 or more of our trash.
- U.S offices use 12.1 trillion sheets of paper a year.
- Paper accounts for 25% of landfill waste and 33% of municipal waste.
- With all the paper we waste each year, we can build a 12-foot high wall of paper from New York to California!
- The lessening of paper usage was predicted due to the electronic revolution. It didn’t happen. Demand for paper is expected to double before 2030.
- Every tree produces enough oxygen for 3 people to breathe.
Negative impacts of paper production
A very important fact that we can’t overlook is the environmental impact of paper production. This is because of the many negative effects:
- 40% of the world’s commercially cut timber is used for the production of paper.
- Pulpwood plantations and mills endanger natural habitats.
- Over 30 million acres of forest are destroyed annually.
- The pulp and paper industry is a big contributor to the problem of deforestation and is partly to blame for the endangerment of some species that live in the forests.
- The life cycle of paper is damaging to the environment from beginning to end. It starts off with a tree being cut down and ends its life by being burned – emitting carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
- Paper production uses up lots of water. Remember, an A4 paper requires 10 liters of water per sheet!
- Most of the materials in landfills are made of paper. When paper rots, it emits methane, a greenhouse gas. When it is burned or composted, carbon dioxide.
- Pulp and paper mills discharge water that’s riddled with solids, dissolved organic matter called lignin, alcohol, an inorganic material such as cholates, chlorine, and metal compounds. All of this contributes to soil and water pollution.
- The paper industry is the 5th largest consumer of energy in the world. It uses up 4% of the world’s energy. To produce 1 ton of virgin paper, it is estimated that 253 gallons of petrol is used.
How to minimize paper waste
Paper is recyclable but it seems that people do not put much effort into its recycling or perhaps we are not educated to do so. This is something we can change if we are consistent, we can make the situation better. When thinking of environmental issues and solving them, we can no longer think that it comes down to an individual (each individual can change their habits for the benefit of all). You can’t change the world alone, you need a group of people believing and making the change. It is time to remember to reduce, reuse and recycle, and encourage everyone you know to do it as well.
What Eve and I discussed is that it would be wise to buy items made of recycled paper (ie., toilet paper!). Next time you are looking to buy paper, ask for recycled paper, even if it costs more money, producing virgin paper that is often bleached costs the environment so much destruction. The same goes for notebooks or blocks, etc. The other thing that we can do is to encourage the paper industry to use environment-friendly ways of manufacturing paper. We seem to forget our important role as consumers. We can influence how industries produce the products that we buy. With each purchase, we vote for the kind of world we want to live in.
Positive sides of paper recycling
Paper recycling reduces the demand to cut down more trees thus increasing carbon dioxide lingering in the atmosphere. Though trees are renewable resources, it is still a frightening number that around 160,000km² of the forest is chopped down every year. Trees take rain, sun and time to grow, yet chopping them down in one fell swoop is a devastating and unnecessary end. Trees do much more for us and other living beings when we leave them be to clean the air we breathe.
The recycling of paper requires 40 percent less energy than making it from scratch. Modern paper mills normally generate their energy from burning waste wood whereas recycling plants often rely on electricity from fossil fuels. So that’s the case against. Recycling causes 35 percent less water pollution and 74 percent less air pollution than making new paper. Recycling a tonne of the newspaper paper also eliminates 3m³ of landfills.
But it is still wise not to buy newspapers and magazines, instead using them in the libraries.
How is paper recycled?
I have always wondered how the recycling process of paper looks like. Earth911.com has put together a list to explain it:
- After you put the paper in your recycling bin, it’s taken to a recycling center where contaminants such as plastic, glass or trash are removed.
- Next, the paper is sorted into different grades.
- Once the paper is sorted, it Is stored in bales until a mill needs it, and then it is transferred to the mill for processing.
- Once at the mill large machines (pulpers) shred the paper into small pieces. This mixture of paper, water, and chemicals are heated and the pieces of the paper break down into fibers.
- The mixture is pressed through a screen to remove adhesives and other remaining contaminants.
- Next, the paper is spun in a cone-shaped cylinder to clean it, and sometimes ink is also removed. At this point, the pulp is sent through a machine that sprays it onto a conveyor belt. Water drips through the belt’s screen and the paper fibers start bonding together.
- Heated metal rollers dry the paper, and the paper is placed onto large rolls, which can be made into new paper products.
Give your effort to recycle paper properly
It seems like the process of making recycled paper is not so easy at all. It takes lots of energy and work hours for many people managing heavy equipment. Also, it is very water-consuming. But it is still better than cutting down more trees and making just paper out of them.
We can play a big part in decreasing paper waste and help more paper to be recycled. It is very important to recycle properly. I guess sometimes we wonder while looking at different types of paper, how to recycle them.
Here are a few common items that cause confusion:
Shredded Paper: yes, it can be recycled. But just in case also check with your local recycling program for specific information.
Staples & Paper Clips: leave them on, as the equipment at paper mills that recycle recovered paper is designed to remove them. Though, you should remove paper clips as they can be reused.
Sticky Notes: yes and no. It depends if your local recycling program accepts mixed paper. Paper mills that process mixed paper are able to remove adhesives.
Conclusion
We all use paper and we all need it. You probably have noticed that the fullest bin of the three recycling bins is always the paper one. So keep that bin filled, so more paper can be made. Avoid wasting paper and reuse paper as much as possible, ie., the blank side for notes. BUT do not start using more plastic. Also, avoid printing documents unless you absolutely need to, such as opting for online statements. Skip single-use paper products whenever you can do lessen the demand for it. You can also upcycle paper by, for instance, wrapping presents and other items in the newspaper. Share the knowledge with your friends and help to make a change.
More interesting things to read about the subject:
How Can We Stop Deforestation?
If you are looking for green products and you would like to support ethical companies, check out FirmHugger and find a variety of green options.
References: Earth911.com