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A Look At The Benefits Of Recycling Paper
Recycling paper is not difficult to do and provides various benefits, however, most of us still do not do it often enough - if at all. What follows is a review of some of the benefits on offer. After reading through them, hopefully you will be more aware of the importance of recycling at least some of the paper that you use.
- Recycling reduces the number of trees that are cut down to make paper. It lessens the intensity of forest management needed to meet the demand for paper, and the pressure to convert natural forests and ecologically sensitive areas (such as wetlands) into tree plantations. Therefore, recycling paper helps preserve the range of values provided by forest ecosystems, including wildlife habitat and biodiversity.
- A lot of everyday items (newspapers, cardboard boxes, envelopes, egg cartons, paper towels, toilet paper, etc.) can be made from recycled paper. These items do the same job whether they are made from ‘new’ paper or recycled paper, so it makes so no sense to not make them from recycled paper. The problem is we are not recycling enough paper to be able to make these items from only recycled paper.
- Recycled paper has cost benefits as it is made from materials that would otherwise constitute the solid waste that is polluting our environment. By infusing this material into the paper manufacturing process, and getting rid of the costs associated with ‘virgin’ pulp and whitening agents, companies can achieve cost savings by both producing and consuming recycled materials
- Recycled paper products conserve resources and generate less pollution during manufacturing. This is because the fibers have already been processed once. It also reduces solid waste because it takes usable paper out of the waste stream. That means less total energy, water, and chemical use, and lower releases of air and water pollutants.
- Producing recycled paper uses much less total energy than producing virgin paper. Depending on the grade of paper, producing recycled paper may use less purchased energy in the form of fossil fuels and electricity. Pretty much all of the energy that we use damages the environment in one way or another, and so we should save what we can where we can.
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