An Extensive Explanation of Paper Recycling

Paper is a commodity that many people cannot live without and tons of it is manufactured year in and year out. Sad to say, many paper wastes are also generated on a regular basis. If they are left in landfills, they will produce methane and ozone layer depletion will take place afterwards.

Putting the said factors into consideration, it can be said that the seemingly harmless commodity can create chaos if not treated properly. It is a good thing that many manufacturers also practice paper recycling so as reduce the environmental damages that may develop along the way.


What is Paper Recycling?

Paper recycling is the process of turning waste paper into re-usable products. It basically involves the separation of specific fibres and the formation of new sheets with the help of water.

A pulp material is produced in the process and it is extensively cleaned to eliminate non-fibrous elements. Some procedures use sodium hydroxide instead of water to separate paper fibres. Afterwards, they are bleached with the use of peroxides to achieve a cleaner appearance.


Benefits of Paper Recycling

Many manufacturers practice paper recycling not only to save the environment but also to save money along the way. This is because the recycling process utilizes less energy compared to the new paper production procedure. In addition, the former also reduces waste output in a very significant way.

The said benefit is more than ideal because it reduces solid wastes in landfills by up to 30 to 40 percent. Because of the endless benefits of paper recycling it is considered by many environment experts as one of the best ways to take care of the planet earth. For this reason, more and more large entities are making serious efforts to recycle paper materials.

Tips on How to Encourage Paper Recycling

Despite the benefits of paper recycling, many people are still not engaging in it. There are a couple of things that can be done to somehow encourage them to do so. Some of them are explained below.

• Educate everyone (children included) about the environmental benefits of paper recycling and explain to them that such act can greatly contribute to a better habitat.
• Place recycle bins on appropriate places since such simple act can reduce the number of people who will dispose recyclable products in trash cans.
• Label the recycle bins so that people who are new to paper recycling can understand their uses. Labelling is also essential for those who want to utilize multi-purpose bins.
• Advice people to be extra careful with regard to which products will be put on recycle bins because different kinds of paper mean different methods of recycling.

Conclusion

The primary goal of paper recycling is to conserve the environment by means of reducing paper wastes. If done properly, it can help preserve the earth’s natural resources since harvesting raw materials to manufacture new products will be eliminated.

Furthermore, it can also contribute to lower air pollution and reduced greenhouse gas emissions because it can eliminate methane accumulation in landfills and reduce the usage of fossil fuels.

Simply put, the benefits of paper recycling are too encompassing to be neglected.

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