3 Places Paper Should Be Recycled

Submitted: The Two Sides Team March 12, 2013

by Kathryn Sukalich

In 2011, a record-high 66.8 percent
of paper was recovered and recycled in the U.S., which means people are
recycling quite a bit in their daily lives. There’s always room for
improvement, however, and though 87 percent
of Americans have access to curbside or drop-off recycling options for
paper, it’s important to ensure you’re recycling whenever you can. To
help you promote recycling in your day-to-day life, we’ve put together a
list of three places you should always recycle. We’ve also compiled
some steps you can take to start recycling – or even start a recycling
program – in those places in case there isn’t a recycling system already
in place. With a little time and effort, you can help make the paper
recycling rate even higher.

1. At Work

Why It Matters

If you work in an office, or in many other workplaces for that
matter, you probably use a fair amount of paper. Even though technology
can help reduce the amount of paper we use, paper still plays a
prominent role in work life. Plus, the average American uses almost six 40-foot tall trees
worth of paper each year. On the upside, though, purchases of printing
and writing paper declined by 5 percent in 2011, according to paperrecycles.org,
a website maintained by the American Forest & Paper Association
(AF&PA), and recycling of printing and writing paper only declined
by 1.2 percent. This means that while there may be less paper in use, we
are recycling a larger chunk of that paper.

Printing and writing paper are likely the most common types of paper in many workplaces, but plenty of other paper types
including envelopes, stationary, magazines and paper-based packaging
are found at work as well. Since so many types of paper surround people
at work, employees need to know which types can be recycled and how to
do so.

Steps to Take

Your employer or the building you work in may already have recycling
procedures in place, so first check to familiarize yourself with the
options available to you. If a recycling program for paper doesn’t
exist, you may need to look into starting one. The American Forest & Paper Association
offers some useful guides to help you implement paper recycling
programs. For a detailed set of instructions about getting started with
recycling at work, take a look at their Workplace Recycling Guide. Here are some of the basic steps to keep in mind while you plan:

Identify Recyclables – You may need to conduct an audit of your
workplace’s waste stream to find out what kinds of paper are being
thrown away, how much there is and where most of this paper is
generated.
Find a Market for Your Paper – You will need to find a vendor to
collect and transport your paper for processing. Check with your
building manager or trash hauler, as they may be able to assist you.
Talk with Management – Those in charge will want to know about cost
and potential benefits, and having management on board will be important
to the success of a program.
Organize Collection Procedures – You will need to coordinate with
custodial staff about who will collect recyclable paper and where bins
will be located. Also make sure to select containers that are easy to
recognize and put them in both common spaces and at individual desks.
Get Employees Involved – Communication is key to a good paper recycling program, so make sure everyone knows what’s going on.
Provide Periodic Updates – Telling everyone how the program is doing
and how it could be improved will help keep co-workers motivated.

Special Considerations

Early in the process, you’ll want to find out which types of office
paper can be recycled and whether they need to be separated in any way.
Later on, make sure employees understand any specific steps they may
need to take before recycling paper. Putting up signs or fliers in
communal areas may be helpful. AF&PA holds annual Paper Recycling Awards, so if your workplace implements a noteworthy recycling program, you could consider entering their contest.

2. At School

Why It Matters

As places of learning, schools have the unique ability to teach kids
good recycling practices. If children learn how to recycle in school,
they’re likely to carry some of that knowledge home with them as well.
Just like offices, schools use many types of paper including writing and
printing paper, notebooks, folders and paper-based packaging. Think
about all the items that have to be printed every day like tests,
handouts and assignments. Putting a system in place to save all these
resources can benefit everyone, since making recycled paper only uses 60 percent of the energy it would take to manufacture new paper.

Steps to Take

AF&PA also offers a detailed guide for
starting a school recycling program, which is worth a look if you’re
thinking about getting your school to start recycling. In general, they
offer these basic steps to get a program up and running smoothly:

Identify Recyclables – Conduct an audit of your paper waste to see
how much and which kinds your school produces. Be sure to include
classrooms, offices and libraries in your assessment.
Decide What to Collect and Who Will Collect It – Talk with your
school’s trash collector or the community’s recycler to find someone to
collect and transport your paper waste. You may need to work within your
school’s existing disposal contract.
Talk with Administrators – School administrator support will be
integral, and those individuals may be able to work with custodial staff
to arrange collection plans.
Choose a Coordinator – Designating a person (or group of people) to lead the project will help facilitate the process.
Plan Collection Procedures – Choose containers, train staff and inform students.
Phase In & Kick Off – Larger schools may wish to test programs
by first recycling in certain areas to help students and staff adjust. A
kick-off event can create enthusiasm and put everyone on the same page.
Report on Results – Track the success of your program and report back to students and staff.

Special Considerations

In addition to making sure you are recycling the proper materials and
separating them if need be, schools have a few other potential
recycling dilemmas you should think about ahead of time. Because of the
nature of the school year, you will need to determine if recycling
services will continue during school breaks. It’s also important to
remind students about recycling practices after each break because they
may not remember the rules after a few months away from school. You can
make recycling in a school setting fun, and doing so will help keep
students’ attention and raise participation. Contests between classrooms
and recognition can entertain students and also help meet paper
recycling goals.

AF&PA holds an annual paper recycling competition for schools, too, so consider nominating your school. The EPA also offers some tips for recycling with different age groups in schools, and paperrecycles.org provides lesson plans for teaching elementary school-age kids about paper recycling.

3. In Your Community

Why It Matters

87 percent
of Americans have access to curbside or drop-off recycling for paper,
which is great if people utilize those options. Just think about all the
paper that goes through your home; cereal boxes, cardboard, newspaper,
junk mail and packaging. In 2010, the New York Times
reported that Americans ate 31 percent more packaged food than fresh
food, and some of that packaging is composed of paper. Knowing which
paper products can go in your curbside bin is important because putting
non-recyclable paper in the bin can cause problems for recycling centers
and putting recyclable paper in the trash needlessly fills up landfill
space.

Steps to Take

Details about starting or adjusting a recycling program in your community can be found in AF&PA’s Community Recycling Guide, but here are the basics:

Learn What Residents Know – One of the biggest challenges of
community recycling is communication, so a brief survey about what
residents know and are doing to recycle is a good place to start.
Talk with Professionals – Your waste hauler will likely be able to
provide information about pick up and transport services for paper. Ask
about how recyclables will need to be prepared. Discuss recycling bins
and containers.
Communicate – Tell everyone the plan. Use email, newsletters, social
media and fliers to explain to residents what they need to do. Using
clear language and visuals can help simplify the recycling process.
Correct Mistakes – In a community with many people, mistakes are
bound to happen. Correspond with your recycler and remind residents of
procedures.
Keep Residents and Community Members Updated – Providing positive
feedback that allows people to see how their behavior is making a
difference will help ensure the long-term success of the program.

Special Considerations

In a community setting, the biggest obstacle you will face is getting
your recycling message out and making sure residents recycle correctly.
You will not have a captive audience the way you might at an office or
in a school, so spend extra time reaching out with fliers and through
any media outlets available to you. In a large community, you may also
need to target your message to a variety of people such as senior
citizens or people for whom English is a second language, AF&PA
explains. You might also need to find out if there are any specific
community members you need to speak with about a recycling program such
as homeowners associations or local government.

If you’d like to enter your community in AF&PA’s annual paper recycling competition, visit their website.