All the paper we shred is recycled. Recycled paper replaces paper created from trees, so fewer trees are needed to supply us with paper. But that’s only the start of the environmental benefits of recycling paper.
Recycling Paper Means Fewer Trees Lost, Less Waste, Less Pollution, and Reduced Water and Energy Use
When we recycle your shredded paper, and you buy products containing recycled paper, we’re helping an industry that can benefit the environment for years to come. We also set in motion a chain of events whose impact goes far beyond your office. According to Quill.com:
- As much as 80 percent of discarded paper is landfilled, not recycled. Recycling prevents more fill for landfills, which generate greenhouse gasses that speed climate change. Reducing the amount of waste also delays the need for creating new landfills
- Paper products can’t be recycled forever because the process shortens and weakens paper fibers. However, your office paper could be turned into new products up to seven times, reducing the amount of natural material needed to make paper
- Nearly half of all trees cut down in North American go to produce paper. The US uses about 68 million trees annually to manufacture paper and paper products, according to Green America. Though a tree can be planted for one that’s cut down, it can take decades to mature. Healthy forests with full-grown trees prevent soil erosion, protect waterways and aquifers, maintain wildlife habitats, and limit how much carbon (a greenhouse gas) goes into the atmosphere. Stanford University estimates it prevented more than 32,000 trees from being cut down in a single year by recycling 1,118 tons of paper
- Using recycled paper to create new products is much more energy-efficient compared to virgin materials. The power needed to make paper from trees is up to 40 percent higher than from recycled paper. It’s estimated a ton of recycled office paper can save 4,100 kWh of energy (roughly what it takes to power the average American home for six months) and 7,000 gallons of water (enough to fill about half of the average American swimming pool). The wood pulp and paper industry is the fifth largest worldwide energy user, consuming 4% of all the world’s energy
- It’s estimated the process of using recycled, not virgin, material to create new paper products creates 73 percent less air pollution and reduces water pollution by 35 percent
Help Your Organization and the Environment by Hiring TITAN Mobile Shredding
Avoid the hassles of keeping old records and files that no longer serve a purpose and prevent unintentional disclosure of confidential information by having us regularly shred them. If you have any questions about how we can shred paper records and computer hard drives that you want to be destroyed, please call us at (866) 848-2699. We can discuss your needs and how we can meet them.
