There are pros and cons to recycling newspaper.
The world has been undertaking a robust green initiative for several years. Many cities now have recycling services with curbside pickup. Among the materials that are commonly recycled are aluminum, tin, glass, plastic, cardboard and newspaper. Recycling newspapers cuts down on paper volume in landfills, but there are disadvantages to newspaper recycling as well. Does this Spark an idea?
Waste Reduction
Recycling newspapers reduces waste in our landfills and reduces the number of new trees that need to be cut to create our daily newspapers. According to recycling-revolution.com, 38.2 percent of our total waste is from paper and paperboard---so recycling helps lower this number. Although it only takes two to four weeks for newspaper to decompose, it takes up the most room in our landfills and the ink from the newsprint leaches into our environment.
New Production
Newspapers can be recycled to create a number of products. For one, they are used to make recycled newsprint. According to the Newspaper Association of America, newspapers in the United States in 2010 contain more than 30 percent recycled newspaper fiber, as compared to 10 percent in 1989. Recycled fiber from newspaper is also used to make cereal boxes, egg cartons, grocery bags and tissue paper. You can purchase notebook paper and toilet paper that is made from recycled newspapers or insulate your house with cellulose insulation materials made from your paper waste.
Limited Acceptance
Some areas that have newspaper recycling services are picky about the condition of the newspaper you wish to recycle. Many times, it is not as simple as throwing the whole paper in the trash. Your recycling center may require you to sort through your paper to remove any glossy paper such as advertisements and coupons. You may further be required to bundle your paper in a specific way before the recycling center will accept them. A bigger problem with recycling newspaper is that many areas still don't have a recycling program in place, which makes it difficult to recycle even if you want to. Some people simply don't have the time or resources to travel to the nearest location to drop off their recyclables.
Declining Need for Newsprint
Since the 1980's, newspaper has been recycled more than ever and the newspaper industry has invested in de-inking equipment to remove the ink from old newspapers. Printers have also increased the recycled fiber content in newsprint since that time. However, according to the Newspaper Association of America, "The industry may have reached maximum levels given current market conditions." More people are turning to television and the Internet to get their news, so newspapers are experiencing a decline in circulation as a result. WIth less circulation comes a decline in available newsprint to be recycled, so it seems unlikely that printers will be able to increase the recycled fiber content in their papers.
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