Recycling, Reusing, or Disposing of Paper Products
(Student Activities #10 and #11, Appendix D)
According to the American Forest and Paper Association, 63.5% of paper manufactured in the United States was recycled in 2010. That amounts to about 51.5 million tons of paper! However it means that 20.3 million tons were still sent to the landfill, where it will probably sit for a long time. As noted before, it is estimated that for every ton of paper recycled, 3.3 cubic yards of landfill are saved. 2 In addition, 165 gallons of gas is saved for every ton of paper that is recycled. 6 And, recycled paper requires 50% less water to be reprocessed than original paper. 1 8 So, not only are you saving trees, you are saving nonrenewable gasoline, and water by recycling paper. Paper can be recycled into a number of different products. Some recycled paper is combined with the tree pulp to make new paper. It can also be used to make over 5,000 products, including: masking tape, tissues, greeting cards, egg cartons, coffee filters, and toilet paper. 1 9
Final Steps
(Student Activity #12, Appendix D)
Students will prepare a persuasive essay. The essay will be addressed to someone or a group who can make a difference with regard to plastic water bottles, plastic bags, or paper disposal. This could involve a recycling project or suggested legislation. The essay must reflect the information that the student has obtained from the unit. I will do my best to encourage the students to start a recycling program at my school that they can manage.
Comments: