Recycling Paper Products
Paper products make up nearly 40% of the waste stream, but are very easy to recycle.
Preparation
Place paper products loose on the bottom of the recycling bin, or bundle in paper bags. Avoid using string or plastic bags. Remove paper clips and clasps.
What to recycle
Books, copy/computer paper, carbonless/NCR fax paper, envelopes (plastic and
hazy glassine windows are okay), colored paper, paper grocery bags, scrap paper, cereal/dry food boxes, egg cartons, wrapping paper, unwaxed paper cups/plates, toilet paper tubes, paper towel tubes, vellum paper. Staples are okay.
What not to recycle
Frozen food boxes, paper towels, take-out food containers.
Fast Facts
- The production of a ton of paper requires 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water and more energy per ton than glass or steel.
- High-grade printing, copying and writing paper is the largest single component in a landfill.
- Every year Americans use more than 67 million tons of paper or 580 pounds per person.
- Americans throw away enough office and writing paper annually to build a wall 12 feet high stretching from Los Angeles to New York.
- American businesses generate enough paper each day to circle the Earth 20 times.
- Each year, American household receives an average of 1.5 tree's growth of bulk mail advertising. It's estimated that over 10 billion pieces of third-class mail were discarded without being opened.
- The average baby will use about 10,000 diapers before toilet training. An estimated 1 billion trees a year are required to produce disposable diapers.
- In 2005 51.5 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling. The U.S. paper industry has set a goal to recover 55 percent of all the paper consumed in the U.S. by 2012.
