Is burning used newspapers considered recycling or polluting?

Question

Okay, so let's say you are camping and intend on having a fire regardless. Is it wrong to use the newspaper as a starter for the fire? Would that be frowned upon? We're finding a new use for the newspaper which could be considered recycling, right?

Answer 1

It's never considered recycling.  If you're burning them for some purpose like heating a home or generating electricity, then I wouldn't call it polluting either.  That's usually refered to as biomass energy.

Answer 2

Burning used newspaper in most cases is considered polluting.

Answer 3

My opinion is it depends on the paper. You said news paper therefore there is ink on the paper from the print. So yes it is polluting. I use newspapers in my garden around the plants and under the mulch it works great for weed control and after it decomposes ti helps the soil.

Answer 4

Incineration is, once again, becoming the favoured option for disposal of suitable items, although this is now done in controlled circumstances with the gases produced being filtered. This prevents land fill, which then prevents methane production.

BTW your little fire is of no consequence compared to the pollution caused by the cars driven and the planes used to fly away on holiday by the people above for the last however many years.

Answer 5

You actually say that you will have a fire regardless, the fuel required for the main fire after ignition assistance by the paper will produce far more polutants than the small proportion produced by the paper, so will be insignificant in comparison.  The thing would be not to have a fire at all.

Newspapers compost very well and are a good source of 'brown' material for the heap.

Answer 6

its considered polluting because when you burn it it makes smoke which goes up to the air

Answer 7

i would have to say it is polluting because it makes a fire and that puts smoke in the air which is not good for us people.if you want to recycle them just take them to a recycling place.

Answer 8

Back in the '70's I converted newspapers to logs for our fireplace and Franklin stove.   We soaked the newspapers in water containing a small amount of detergent to make the water "wetter".  Then, we rolled the papers very tightly into logs, at the same time squeezing out the water.  The rolls were held together tightly with rubber bands until dry.  What we wound up with was a log with a very dense papier mache consistency.  

They burned fairly well, lasting a little longer than pine and giving off a surprising amount of heat.

As a former park ranger, I don't see a pollution issue with campers using a small amount of paper as a starter for a campfire.  There are a lot of polluting fire starters including petro products, rags, plastic, painted lumber and an amazing range of things that campers bring to a campsite to burn.

Answer 9

I'd have to say polluting. You're creating air pollution by burning them. However, the recycling process creates air pollution as well, so it's kind of a catch-22.

Answer 10

polluting! you should recycle your newspapers.

Answer 11

polluting of course .

It puts smoke in the air

the best is to compost them.

Answer 12

i would have to say polluting because when you burn paper the little burnt pieces of paper float into the air and pollute it.

Answer 13

Consider that

A: If you're going to burn anyway, buring moss, lint, whatever had nore more or less implact than buring newspaper.

B: The truck that takes away the recycling bins and the factor that reprocesses the paper both put out pollutnats.

C. The use of post consumer paper does not lessen the need for virgin pulp (paper can only be recycled a couple of times).

Bearing that in mind, it would be lesser a polution to simply burn the newspaper.

Answer 14

POLLUTING!!!

Jeez, just take a little extra energy and throw them in the recycling bin.

Answer 15

It pollutes.  If the papers are used for heating, or generating electricity, it is "renewable energy"; since it comes from trees.  Some sources call in "non-depletable".  Although it releases carbon, the carbon has been recently captured (taken from the air) by the trees which made the newspaper.

Answer 16

It is being destroyed not recycled. Yes, I think it's polluting.