Is it environmentally friendly to recycle paper?

Question

Recycling paper has its advantages but has disadvantages mainly

1) The paper has to be de-inked , which requires solvents that needs to be disposed off by land fill or burning, If The solvent could be recovered waste will still be generated, as it is impossible to generate a process with zero waste,.

2) paper can not be recycled forever as the quality of paper will go down ever time the paper is recycled. This is due to the cellulose structure breaking down over time. The paper becomes yellow in colour and easily ripped apart.

It could be better argued that the paper should be burnt and used in a power plant(or possibly in a CHP plant) to generate electricity via turbines. What is your views,

Answer 1

Yes It is good to recycle paper! But for the most effective step in saving the environment is to reuse paper! Instead of printing stuff on fresh sheets, reuse the backside of your old english handout. Consider reusing before you recycle.

Answer 2

yes it is eco-friendly. i do it

Answer 3

You are right to point out that recycling is not perfect.  There are losses and environmental costs but it is preferable to not recycling.

It is also worth recognising that using the paper as a fuel is itself a form of recycling.  The choice of which form of recycling is best will depend upon the circumstances and must be left to the collector of the paper.

I am glad you have pointed out that there are choices to be made and I hope that collectors will keep their choices under review to ensure that changing circumstances are not overlooked.  At the same time the general public should pass all their waste paper to the collectors in as clean a condition as possible, so as ensure that the range of options is as wide as possible.

Of course the best way to keep the environmental cost down is to minimise the use of paper so that there is less to recycle.

Best wishes

Answer 4

YES. Recycling anything that can be is great and helpful to the environment.  And even if the ink did hurt it, recycling the paper would be helping it more.

Answer 5

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...

Answer 6

Yes.

Number one reason, it eliminates the cutting down of the raw material, trees/wood.

To maintain quality in products that require it recycled paper fibres can be blended in with virgin fibres. The ratio can be adjusted according to need. Don't forget the same recycled fibres doesn't get sent around in a circle with exactly the same other recycled paper at all times, there is a near infinite mixing  going on.

Despite the minor drawbacks you mention, they remain minor compared to simply dumping the entire paper product into waste.

Answer 7

I recycle paper on my fire.

Answer 8

it is kind of good and bad. but it still better than not recycling paper