Recycling paper is not a new phenomenon. In the very beginning paper used to be produced from daily waste products. Even in the technologically advanced age we need paper for daily use and can’t deny its importance. Recycling paper is a very crucial type of recycling that should be practiced more. It helps the mankind in more than one way in bringing down the consumption of energy and lowering the global pollution. Reusing paper can also help nations to improve economically. All sorts of recycling when done in a large scale create lots of job opportunity and helps the country folks become independent.
What is the history of paper recycling?
In the year of 1690 the first ever paper mill of America was established at Monoshone Creek in Philadelphia. William Rittenhouse was the first man who started producing paper after learning the techniques from Germany. Paper was made from recycled items like torn rags and worn out linens. It is after the 1880s that the process of producing paper from tree fibers came into being. From 1896 paper recycling center started in the city of New York and this good habit has spread throughout the world. Paper is probably the most recycled item in the world.
Major Facts about Paper Recycling
- By recycling energy we help nature in a variety of ways. Paper production from virgin fibers requires a lot of energy and water. By recycling paper we can conserve both power and energy. Making new papers needs trees to be cut down. If paper is not recycled then the number of natural vegetation will decrease even faster. By recycling one ton of paper we can save 17 matured trees. The paper factories are hugely responsible for emitting large quantities of Green House gases.
- In the US the number of news paper sold each day amounts to 62 million. 44 million of it goes to the dust bins. Recycling even 22 million everyday can make the planet much cleaner.
- A ton of paper, when recycled, can save 4,200 kilowatts of energy and that energy is more than the amount of energy needed for powering a household for 6 months.
- Recycling paper can help in solving the problem of unemployment partially. For collecting discarded paper and for each process or stages of recycling skilled men/women will be required.
