PAPER RECYCLING
PAPER RECYCLING
Paper and paper items are the most common materials in our trash and make up over 40% of our national waste stream. Most of this paper winds up in landfills and incinerators, but could easily be recycled.
Because Americans use so much paper - 67,000,000 tons each year or 600 pounds per person - it is important to understand how much of our energy and natural resources are conserved through recycling. Industries estimate that over 200 million trees are saved each year through recycling efforts.
It requires 17 trees to make one ton of virgin paper. 17 trees represent 3 2/3 acres of forest. By recycling one ton of paper, we save 17 trees, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 2 barrels of oil, 7,000 gallons of water and 4,100 kilowatt hours of electricity - enough energy to power the average American home for 5 months. The recycling process saves 62% of the energy required to make paper out of trees.
The average person generates 100 pounds of NEWSPRINT per year. One tree, approximately 30 feet tall, is required to make a three foot stack of newspapers, which weighs 100 pounds. It takes more than 500,000 trees to produce the newspaper Americans read each Sunday, yet only 30% of all newspapers are recycled.
William Paterson University recycles a mixed grade of paper which contains - white or colored paper, newspaper, junk mail, magazines, regular and window envelopes, glossy inserts and telephone books. We also recycle corrugated cardboard - just fold it flat and place next to the paper recycling bin.
Newspaper is one of the three materials that is mandated for recycling according to the NJ Mandatory Statewide Source Separation and Recycling Act, P.L. 1987 c.102.
Junk Mail Facts: Have your name removed from junk mail lists. Write to : "Get Off the Junk Mail List," Mail Preference Services, Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, N.Y. 11735-9008.
If you have any questions, please call Val Weiss,
WPUNJ’s Recycling Coordinator at ext. 3248
or send him an E-mail @ weissv@wpunj.edu