List of Paper Products That Can Be Recycled
Paper is the most common material in solid waste. Recycling paper can help significantly to reduce the amount of trash. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recycling paper also reduces greenhouse gas emissions and conserves energy and water. Since the majority of paper production is dependent on trees for pulp, recycling paper helps save valuable trees. Paper towels, tissues, newsprint, and paper bags are examples of products that incorporate a certain amount of recycled paper. The different grades of scrap paper that can be recycled include newsprint, corrugated materials, mixed papers, and high-grade office paper.
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Newsprint
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Newspaper is one of the most commonly recycled paper products. According to the Solid Waste Services of the city of Austin, Texas, recycling our daily newspaper for one year would provide the pulp equivalent of 2/3 acre of commercial forest. Recycling one ton of newspaper could save 17 pine trees. Recycled newspaper consumes 40 percent less energy than it takes to manufacture virgin paper. Most of the energy used in paper-making is the pulping that turns wood into paper. In addition, old newsprint is used for insulation, stuffing and molded paper products.
In addition to newspaper, the pages of a telephone book are also fall into the newsprint category. Some telephone companies collect and recycle their books annually when new directories are issued.
Corrugated Materials
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Corrugated materials, such as cardboard packing boxes, are the most recycled paper products. These boxes, which are mostly used in groceries, department stores and other businesses have a high recycling rate. The center part of these boxes--the corrugated flute--is made of 100-percent recycled materials.
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High--Grade Paper
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High-grade office paper includes computer printouts, copy paper and white stationery. According to Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District (Ohio), every ton of office paper recycled saves the equivalent of 24 trees. High-grade paper is made with fibers that can be recycled easily into good-quality paper.
Glossy Paper
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Most magazines are made of glossy paper. This paper product is not recycled as widely because it is heavily coated in clay to give it the shine. The presence of clay in the paper makes it difficult to recycle. Moreover, upon removal of clay very little paper is left for recycling. This makes the process a costly. However, with recent techniques, recycled glossy paper can be used to make papers of other grades such as paperboard.
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- Photo Credit old newspaper image by Vasiliy Koval from Fotolia.com
