Paper

Where it goes: Catalyst Paper - Snowflake, AZ
What it becomes: newsprint for local papers


In 2009, Sedona Recycles recycled 1,267 tons of paper, saving:
21,462 trees
8,806,834 gallons of water
586,136 gallons of oil

Paper Recycling Facts

• Each of us uses approximately one 100-foot-tall Douglas fir tree in paper and wood products per year.

• More than 56 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S. during 2007 was recovered for recycling — an all-time high. This impressive figure equals nearly 360 pounds of paper for each man, woman, and child in America.

• More than 400 paper mills in the United States use at least some recovered materials in their manufacturing processes, and more than 200 of those mills use recovered fiber exclusively.

• De-inked paper fiber is the most efficient source of fiber for the manufacturing of new paper products; one ton of de-inked pulp saves over 7,000 gallons of water, 390 gallons of oil, and reduces air emissions by 60 lbs compared to traditional virgin fiber processes.

• Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 mature trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 2 barrels of oil, and 4,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity — enough energy to power the average American home for five months.

• Recycling paper instead of making it from new material generates 74 percent less air pollution and uses 50 percent less water.

• Producing recycled paper requires about 60 percent of the energy used to make paper from virgin wood pulp.

• Just over 48% of office paper is recovered for recycling. This becomes raw material for paperboard, tissue, and printing and writing papers.

• Over 73% of all newspapers are recovered for recycling. Almost a third goes back into making more newsprint. The remainder is used to make paperboard, tissue, and insulation.

• Approximately 1.5 million tons of construction products are made each year from paper, including insulation, gypsum wallboard, roofing paper, flooring, padding and sound-absorbing materials.

• Recycled paper can also be made into paper towels, notebook paper, envelopes, copy paper and other paper products, as well as boxes, hydro-mulch, molded packaging, compost, and even kitty litter.

• If only 100,000 people stopped their junk, mail, we could save up to 150,000 trees annually. If a million people did this, we could save up to a million and a half trees.

• The junk mail Americans receive in one day could produce enough energy to heat 250,000 homes.

• The average American spends 8 full months of his/her life opening junk mail.