Paper Recycling - Measure for upliftment of our Environment:

Paper Recycling - Helps create something useful out of nothing – Measure for upliftment of our Environment:

Paper is required and used for anything and everything one can think of. With hundreds of final uses, paper satisfies many important human needs. In fact, it is an integral part of everyday life. The technological advances with computers and photocopiers has increased the consumption and wastage of paper.

By using paper carelessly, we contribute to the depleting forest cover, drastic climate change and water pollution. For every ton of paper, the paper industry guzzles up 2.8 tons of dry timber and 24,000 gallons of water, besides electricity and other resources. Pulp and paper industry is a major contributor in terms of air and water pollution.
Recycling of paper not only saves trees and minimises pollution, but also reduces the waste problem by utilizing waste material like used paper, cotton rags and unwanted biomass.

Benefits of paper recycling:

Waste reduction

(a) Paper accounts for a significant amount of municipal waste.

(b) Recycling paper means less waste and disposal problem.

(c) Energy conservation - 60-70% energy savings over virgin paper production.

(d) Resource conservation - Recycled paper uses 55% less water and helps preserve our forests.

(e) Pollution reduction - Recycled paper reduces water pollution by 35%, reduces air pollution by 74%, and eliminates many toxic pollutants.

(f) Livelihood creation - Recycling of waste paper creates more jobs.

REMEMBER

USE OF PAPER LEAVES AN ADVERSE IMPACT ON OUR ENVIRONMENT. OUR GOAL SHOULD BE TO PROMOTE REDUCTION OF CONSUMPTION OF PAPER.

Recycling is essential for improving environmental degradation:

Recycling is essential for improving environmental degradation:

Environmental problems have become so complex that many individuals feel they can have no effect on them. Problems like global warming, hazardous waste, loss of rain forests, endangered species, acid rain, the ozone layer, and the municipal waste crisis can feel out of our control. At the very least, these problems require group and corporate action or government intervention. But there are some things the individual can control. Our waste reduction and recycling activities can make a difference.

Recycling is nothing but reprocessing of old material and converting it to new usable products. Recycling prevents waste of potentially useful materials, reducing consumption of fresh raw material, ore and minerals. Recycling process also economizes over all energy consumption for production of materials than the virgin products; thereby improving environmental degradations. Recycling is a key concept of modern waste management.

The recyclable materials are mostly paper, metal, textiles, glass and plastics. These materials are either brought to a collection centre or picked-up from the curbside, sorted, cleaned and reprocessed into new products bound for manufacturing.

(i) Curbside recycling - Curbside recycling now serves half of the U.S. population, providing the most convenient means for households to recycle a variety of materials. While all curbside programs differ, the most commonly included materials are The Big Five: aluminum cans, glass bottles, paper, plastic and steel/tin cans.

(ii) Electronics - Technology has revolutionized our lifestyle through telephones, radios, TVs, computers and cell phones. However, the brisk pace of technology means these devices become obsolete quickly. A more recent issue is how our old electronics should be disposed of, because they often contain dangerous elements such as lead and mercury that can contaminate our soil and water supply.

(iii) Composting - Managing organic material at your home can not only decrease the amount of material you send to the landfill; it can also help turn your organic waste into a landscape asset. Composting will reduce the amount of food waste in your garbage can, while creating nutrient-rich fertilizer for your garden.