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Learning with Trees

 

Rethink Recycling

The trees you and your students planted or are planning to plant in your outdoor classroom help our environment in so many ways. They filter our air and water, provide shade and windbreak and beautify our communities. While planting new trees is a great way to have a positive impact on the environment, we also have to preserve and conserve the trees that are already in the ground.

Recycling is just as important as planting trees. Think of the hundreds of times a day we touch paper - newspapers, cereal boxes, junk mail, books, grocery bags, receipts. Instead of being made from trees, most of these items can be made from recycled paper. And instead of throwing these things away, you can help our environment by recycling them.

Making one ton of paper from recycled fiber saves 17 trees. But that's not all - it also saves:

  • 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space
  • 360 gallons of water
  • 100 gallons of gasoline
  • 60 pounds of air pollutants
  • 10,401 kilowatts of electricity

    • (source: US Environmental Protection Agency)

    In addition to all these environmental benefits, waste paper recycling also has a positive economic impact. It creates many jobs and adds significantly to the state and national economy. According to the National Recycling Coalition, the recycling industry is comparable in size to the auto and truck manufacturing industry and employs more than 1.1 million people.

    The benefits are clear. By 2012, the paper industry's goal is to recover for recycling 55% of all the paper Americans consume - that's about 55 million tons of paper. We challenge you to step up and recycle all you can. To help you get started, here are some great tips and links that will guide you.

    Reduce

  • Set your computer defaults to print double-sided
  • Use high-grade paper and minimize the use of colored, glossy and special-thickness papers that are difficult to recycle
  • Actively encourage your coworkers and students to recycle
  • Use cloth instead of paper towels, or use a hand dryer
  • Use cloth bags instead of paper or plastic

    • Reuse

  • Convert scratch paper into note pads
  • Use reusable or two-way envelopes to mail your letters
  • Use shredded paper as packaging
  • Use old magazines and newspapers for craft projects or mulching your garden
  • Reuse paper lunch bags or use a lunch box
  • Reuse gift boxes and bags
  • Use an empty kitty litter bucket to water a tree (right - students at Bethune)

    • And of Course, Recycle

    Find out your municipality's rules on paper recycling. Here are Hennepin County's recyclable items:

  • Mail, office and school papers
  • Newspaper and inserts
  • Cardboard boxes
  • Magazines and catalogs
  • Phone books
  • Shredded paper in closed paper bags
  • Cereal, cracker, pasta and cake mix boxes
  • Shoe boxes, gift boxes and electronics boxes
  • Boxes from toothpaste, medications and other toiletries

    • Helpful Links

    Here are some links that will give you more information on recyling:

    GreenGuardian.com

    paperrecycles.org

    reduce.org

    Earth 911

    Paper University

     

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    Meets StandardsTree Trust
    2350 Wycliff Street Suite 200
    Saint Paul, MN 55114
    Phone: 651-644-5800
    Fax: 651-644-1469