Recycling has grown in popularity in recent years as consumers try to reduce the amount of trash going into already brimming landfills. Recycling paper is one of the most common forms of reducing the amount of trash generated by offices and households around the globe, and offers a variety of benefits as well as disadvantages. Although many people have taken active steps toward reducing paper generation (paying bills online, online information forms, agreements, etc.), recycling paper is still a personal decision for consumers.
Pro: More Usage
One of the most common benefits to using recycled paper is to use a source over and over again. For example, reusing printing paper at home or at work by turning used paper over and loading into a printer to fill up both sides is a way to cut down waste and expenses (as long as information is not confidential).
Newspaper recycled in the home and office can help reduce trash and toxic waste from ink by using it for wrapping, padding or even cleaning windows. With a little imagination, most consumers can find something to do with used paper that may get more use or function out of the product before buying more, saving those trees every step of the day.
Con: Time Consuming
Unfortunately, recycling paper takes some time in determining what paper can be reused and what can't, such as personal or office correspondence that is private, health care-related content and so forth. Removing staples and making sure paper is smooth and wrinkle-free before it's fed into a printer also can be time consuming.
Con: Price
Strangely enough, recycled copier paper is often more expensive to purchase than regular paper. The consumer may find that the recycled paper is as much as a dollar or so more than the unrecycled paper.
Pro: Save the Trees
According to Kenneth Skog of the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory, recycling paper saves trees and reduces carbon monoxide in the environment, increasing the amount of carbon dioxide found in forests and reducing greenhouse gases on an annual basis, essential for clean, breathable air.
Pro: Save Money
Reusing paper in a variety of ways saves consumers money. Use newspaper to clean glass and windows instead of paper towels and enjoy less streaking. Wrap breakables in newspaper instead of packing paper. Office paper can be reused as scratch paper or reused in printers to get the most out of one piece of paper. Savings in paper costs help reduce overhead budgets and benefit the environment at the same time.
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