Newspaper

Newspaper

Jul 22

If I could convince you to recycle just one thing, it would be this newspaper. This very issue of Tulsa County News is the easiest thing to recycle and is one of the most valuable as well. First, it can be recycled at any M.e.t. recycling center (there is one close to the newspaper office on 51st street west of Union in front of Dollar General). It is also collected in curbside bins and paper only drop-off bins at many schools and churches.

All types of paper can be recycled today. Everything paper that comes in the mail, including envelopes and magazines is now collected. Everything paper that is found in a regular office including file folders and copier paper is also recyclable. But all the other papers pale in comparison to newspaper for the ease of recycling and for revenue to collectors.

Newspaper is easy to store in your home. It fits in cardboard copier boxes and even stacks sideways in paper grocery bags. It is consistent in size so it stacks well. It doesn’t smell and can be carried in your car for some time until you pass by a recycling location. I have even added it to my compost bin when I had too much fresh green grass and not enough leaves to get the right carbon/nitrogen ratio.

Most newspaper is made from recycled paper and its demand is pretty easy to calculate. The highest demand is seasonal when papers double or triple in size due to Christmas advertising. It also is very valuable to collectors like the M.e.t. who receive as much as 50% to 60% of their overall revenue from recycling from this one single source.

I guess I don’t understand why people don’t recycle newspaper like this Tulsa County News. I know it can be difficult to haul and store your glass bottles, milk jugs should be rinsed out and even water/soda bottles should have the lids removed. But newspaper is easy. If it comes in the paper, it is recyclable. And if you throw away a ten foot high stack of newspaper, you have saved a whole mature tree so, recycling saves trees.

Newspaper is the easiest first step in recycling and the most important commodity to recycling companies. Why would you want to read a newspaper made from trees when you can have one made from paper? Start by recycling this issue.