What & Where to Recycle INDEX | Paper

Each person in the United States uses approximately 749 pounds of paper a year. Where does it all go? Some of it goes into books, recycled paper for office and school use, newspapers and many other uses. Some is even used in other permanent applications like insulation or roofing shingles for your home.

Today, however, more Americans are recycling paper products than ever before - over 47 million tons of paper. More paper is now recovered in the United States than goes to landfills, saving more than 100 million cubic yards of landfill space each year. Recycling paper makes sense because it makes our resources go farther. Paper is also easy to recycle because it is made from wood, and it separates back into fibers when soaked in water. Paper can be recycled seven times and thus reduces the need to harvest timber to make new paper.

The recycling process produces a new paper or paperboard product out of materials that might otherwise have ended up in a landfill. Recycling is one way to help manage the solid waste we generate each year.

RECYCLE HERE!

North Valley Recycling - 862-4381

• Corrugated cardboard
• Magazines and catalogs
• Newspaper
• White paper with black ink, computer paper, brown paper bags

Pacific Steel and Recycling - 755-7128

• Newspaper
• Magazines and catalogs
• Corrugated cardboard and brown paper bags
• Office paper
• Computer paper

Valley Recycling - 257-2574
Valley Recycling recently changed its policy for sorting paper. Instead of dividing products into four or five piles, only two are required now. For more information, you can read the press release here.

• Newspapers, magazines, phone books, all white and colored paper, file folders, mailings, index cards, fax paper, envelopes (with or without windows), notebook paper, carbonless paper, computer paper
• Cardboard (corrugated and cereal box type paperboard), brown paper bags

Miscellaneous

• Mt. Coffee Traders, 862-7603. Will take cardboard boxes for shipping. Call for pick up.
• Kalispell Drop-Off Sites, 257-2574. Accept mixed paper, including cereal boxes and paperboard.
• New World Recycling, 387-4561. Provides curbside recycling. Contact Cory Cullen at 863-9311.

Why It's Important:
Cut Waste : Paper accounts for 40% of all municipal waste. Recycled paper means less trash, lower taxes & other disposal costs
Save Energy : 60-70% energy savings over virgin pulp. The paper industry is the 3rd largest user of energy in the U.S.
Conserve Natural Resources: The U.S. uses 100 million tons of paper a year & use is increasing. Recycled paper uses 55% less water & helps preserve our forests. Recycling of waste paper creates more jobs.
Recycled paper: Reduces water pollution by 35%, reduces air pollution by 74%, and eliminates many toxic pollutants.

Sources: Some of the information on this site came from these web sites. Visit these sites to learn much more about reducing paper use and tips on recycling.
* http://www.moea.state.mn.us/campaign/paper/index.html
* http://www.reduce.org/junkmail
* http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Paper/Prevention/
* http://www.treecycle.com/info.html
* http://www.rro.state.mn.us/Officepaper.htm

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