How to Recycle Paper

Among all the materials that are recycled, paper is by far one of the most easiest and the most recycled material till date. As we all are aware that manufacturing virgin paper requires cutting down of trees. With global issues like deforestation, acid rain, pollution, soil erosion, ozone layer depletion and global warming, we all know how important saving trees is. In fact, cutting more trees means depletion of forest reserves, which indirectly can affect the natural habitat of many species. One of the most encouraging facts is that recycling even 1 ton of paper can save up to 17 trees. Not only this, it also saves about 5000 gallons of water as well. Isn't this at least one good reason as to why one should recycle paper? You can also avail some economic benefits by depositing used papers in exchange of money. Recycling paper is not a difficult task. If you want to help the environment, then read on further to know about the different ways to recycle paper. Have a look...

Ways to Recycle Paper
Almost each and every city or county has a recycling program through which one can recycle not only paper, but other elements like glass, plastic, aluminum, and so on. You can check about the recycling program in your county by getting in touch with the department of public works in your respective area. Usually newspapers, white office paper and colored papers are accepted for recycling. Other papers like wax paper, butter paper, etc., are not recycled everywhere, so you'll have to check with the department for the same. The process works like this. Firstly, you need to separate the white papers, colored papers and newspapers and keep them in separate groups, and then deposit these papers at recycling drop-off centers. These papers are then taken to the mill wherein the process of recycling takes place and the paper fibers are de-inked to create an all new paper for usage.

How to Recycle Paper at Home
While you can drop-off most of the used paper at the recycling outlet, there are still a lot of fun ways through which you can recycle paper at home. Try it with a newspaper. All you need to do is to soak the shredded pieces of newspaper in water for a day or two until the color of the solution doesn't get black. Once you notice that the paper is well dissolved in the water, you can take a big bowl and fill it up with 4 inches of water and 2 table spoons of glue. Mix it up properly until the mixture is smooth. You would also require a dying screen which you can create by molding the wire hanger into square or rectangle. You need to strain out your paper by inserting the screen up to the bottom of the sink and slowly lifting it up. You should not take less than 30 seconds to lift the screen from the bottom to the top. All that you need to do now is to dry it up with the help of a dryer or under the natural sunlight. It is a good activity to keep the kids engaged in. This will also help them understand the benefits of recycling with interest, and allow them to contribute their bit.

Other Ways of How to Recycle and Reuse Paper
Instead of simply throwing away the newspaper or used papers away, you can easily reuse them for further uses. Paper is one of the important resource used for various arts and crafts purposes. You can use a used paper for doing so instead of buying brand new sheets from the market. Here is what you can to do recycle paper.

• You can use shredded paper for filling in some soft toys or throw pillows instead of buying synthetic padding.
• You can also use shredded or crumpled newspapers or wrapping papers which have been used previously for the purpose of packaging. This would save you from the trouble of buying Styrofoam.
• Instead of throwing away the one sided printed paper, you can use the plain side for reprinting casual notes and data.
• You can also make various art works using origami techniques to indulge your kid in a creative way to re-use paper.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, one of the main benefits of recycling paper is that it results in 74% lesser air pollution, and 35% lesser water pollution as compared to making virgin paper. I think if a simple process of recycling paper can cause less pollution, save energy, save trees and natural habitats, then all the efforts are absolutely worth it, don't you think?