Recycling Paper

Paper Facts

• One ton of recycled paper saves 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space, 4100 kw hours of electricity (enough to heat a home for 6 months or run a television for 31 hours)
  
• De-inked paper fiber is the most efficient source of fiber for the manufacturing of new paper products; one ton of de-inked pulp saves over 7000 gallons of water, 390 gallons of oil, and reduces air emissions by 60 lbs compared to traditional virgin fiber processes
  
• Enough paper is collected for recycling each year to make a box-car train 7,600 miles long
  
• 47.3 million tons of paper were recovered I the U.S. in 1999 - an average of 347 pounds per person
  
• Everyday Americans buy 62 million newspapers and throw out 44 million
  
• One ton of recycled paper uses: 64% less energy, 50% less water, 74% less air pollution and creates 5 times more jobs than one ton of paper products from virgin wood pulp

Put the following papers in a paper grocery bag or a separate recycling bin. Do NOT use plastic bags.

Recyclable Paper

• Newspapers and Inserts
• Magazines
• Catalogs
• Junk Mail and Envelopes (No product samples; envelope labels and windows are OK.)
• Home Office Paper (Stickies, manilla envelopes and file folders and paper ream wrappers are OK)

These Papers Go In Your Garbage Cart

• Pizza boxes
• Boxboard (thin cardboard like cereal boxes, shoe boxes, soda cartons, etc.)
• Phone books
• Wet, soiled or food-stained paper
• Paper towels, facial or toilet tissue
• Disposable plates and cups
• Holiday and greeting cards
• Dark-colored envelopes and folders
• Wrapping paper

Even if the papers listed above are collected with your recycling, they will be sorted out later at great expense and sent to a landfill. Please recycle only the paper products listed as recyclable.

Rainy Days

Do not put paper out if it's raining! Wet paper cannot be recycled.

Windy Days

Try placing a brick or another heavy object on top of your paper recycling on windy days. This should keep it from blowing down the street. If you put paper in a recycling bin, stack the second bin with your cans and jars on top of the paper recycling bin.