Everyday items including books, newspapers, packaging, and office supplies are made of paper. But there is also a lot of paper wasted as a result of this extensive use of paper. Paper and paperboard products make up the majority of municipal solid trash in the United States, accounting for around 25% of landfill waste, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). How much paper is wasted annually, then?
The response is astounding. The EPA estimates that Americans produced 67.4 million tons of waste paper and paperboard in only 2018 alone. This is equivalent to about 540 pounds of paper garbage produced by each individual each year. This quantity of paper trash has negative effects on the environment, such as deforestation, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and an increase in landfill debris.
What occurs to paper in landfills, then? Paper that is disposed of in a landfill decomposes and releases methane gas, an effective greenhouse gas that accelerates climate change. Additionally, it takes years for the paper to decompose, and during that time, dangerous toxins and chemicals are released into the environment.
Can paper be recycled sustainably? Reduced paper waste can be achieved through recycling. Recycling paper saves resources, cuts greenhouse gas emissions, and lessens the quantity of paper trash that ends up in landfills. A ton of recycled paper can prevent the need to cut down 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, and 4,000 kilowatts of electricity, according to the EPA.
How can old paper be used? There are a number of ways to recycle or repurpose old paper instead of throwing it out. Old paper can be used as packing material or pet bedding by shredding it. Another choice is to create crafts or artwork with old paper. In addition, it is simple to recycle used paper because so many cities provide paper recycling programs.
Which is more efficient, reducing paper waste or recycling it? Even if recycling paper and decreasing paper waste are both good approaches to deal with the problem of paper waste, reducing paper waste is the best approach. We can conserve resources and lessen the negative effects of paper production and disposal on the environment by using less paper. Utilizing digital documents, printing double-sided, and declining unwanted mail and catalogs are a few strategies for reducing paper waste.
In conclusion, paper waste is a serious environmental problem that has to be addressed. We can conserve resources, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and safeguard the environment for future generations by reducing paper waste and recycling paper.