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About
27% of the world's population, the United States, Japan, and China
use about 71% of the world's paper. If it were all piled together,
it would reach the moon and back eight times!*
Now from the Earth to the Moon is about 200,000 miles. Imagine
all those trees used to produce all that paper! What are those
paper used for anyway? Documents, books, advertisements, homework,
etc.
*From "Living in the Environment" 12th
Ed, by G. Tyler Miller, Jr. Note: I'm going to make a lot of references
from this book, which I recommend as a good book.
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Ask yourself? "Do I recycle?"
Recycle, that a big word. According to Dictionary.com
it means to put or pass through a cycle again, as for further treatment.
That means, a piece of junk mail can be used to take down someone's
phone number, giving away old clothes to someone, reusing grocery plastic
bags for small trash bags, throwing away a piece of paper in the recycle
bin. Reuse as much as you can from something. Did you know it can save
you money? How? Think of it like this. A college student studies hard
for his math exam and needs to practice a lot of problems (studying
math by requires lots of practice). The student can either use fresh
line paper, or can dig out some old homework with one side all blank.
Why use line paper, when that can be used for some other stuff. It's
just practicing math problems.
"So what's the big deal?"
Reusing material means reducing the amount of raw material out in the
environment. Reusing paper can save a tree, for an example. Not only
do you save a tree, but you reduce habitat destruction, and protect
the other species out there. Also, it reduces pollution and saves energy.
"Why you emphasizing so much on paper?"
Paper is the most easiest material that can be recycled. There is so
much that can be done with paper. It's just the decision, how do I reuse
it AND where do I throw it away, the trash can, or the recycling
bin? The correct answer: Recycling bin! Though, there are exceptions:
such as those that are contaminated, wax paper, carbon paper, thermal
fax paper, and stickers.
"I don't have a trash bin."
Reuse a box, or buy another trash can label it "Recycle bin."
Small plastic trash bins can run from $3-5.
Don't think of recycle as throwing stuff in the recycling bin.
The main idea in recycling is to REUSE. Buy reusable consumables.Not
only will it benefit the environment, it'll benefit you by saving you
money in the LONG RUN. Ex: Rechargeable batteries cost more, but it's
better than buying a new pair of non-rechargeable batteries every month.
Also, don't throw that old printer away (or any other electronics).
Donate it, or even try selling it (like E-bay.
Good Luck!). If it's broken, there are places where you can drop it
off and they can reuse the parts.
Remember the 3 R's
Recycle, Reduce, and Reuse.
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