Paper is a biodegradable material; this means that when it goes to landfill it will rot; bacteria will form and produce methane. This is a powerful greenhouse gas that is 23 times more potent than CO2 (carbon dioxide) and contributes to climate change. We currently recycle 66% of the paper we use.
Manufacturing virgin (brand new) paper uses more energy than making recycled paper, but varies dependent on the grade or type of paper being made. Lower quality paper, such as newsprint and packaging paper, require less energy to manufacture than office paper.
By simply recycling our paper we can:
- Reduce the consumption of energy
- Reduce the consumption of rainforest
- Reduce the amount of paper waste going to landfill
- Reduce the emission of gasses like methane into the atmosphere
