How to Recycle Newspaper

Recycling newspaper is incredibly easy since there isn’t anything unique about newspaper that makes it difficult to process. Most newspapers can be included with your standard recyclables. Contact your municipal government to find out how you should sort your recycling for pickup. If you prefer, you can also compost your newspaper alongside leaves, food waste, and lawn trimmings. If you want to get more use out of your newspaper before recycling or composting it, use it as a packing material, gift wrap, weed killer, or window cleaner.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Using Your Standard Recycling

1. Contact your municipal government to see if they take newspaper. There is nothing special about newspaper that makes it hard to recycle. However, some local governments have unique restrictions on what type of recyclables can be put in the same bin, and some require that papers and plastics be separated. Call your local streets and sanitation department to see what their recycling requirements are for newspapers.^[1]
   
   • Look online to find your local streets and sanitation or waste collection department’s phone number. It may also be printed on your recycling bin if your city provided you with it.
   • The vast majority of the time, your city’s waste collection department will tell you that newspaper can be stuffed in the same bin as your other plastics, papers, and cardboard boxes.
2. Place your newspaper in your standard recycling bin. Fold your newspaper flat so that it fits in your recycling bin and doesn’t take up a ton of space. Set it outside for your weekly pick-up alongside your cardboard and other paper.^[2]
   
   • Keep your recyclables away from food contamination by holding on to your takeout containers and disposable plates. Food-waste and greasy residue belongs in the trash, not your recycling bin.
3. Take your newspapers to a recycling plant if your city doesn’t pick up. If your local government doesn’t recycle or they refuse to take newspapers, you can take them to a plant yourself. Look online to find recycling plants in your area. Call the closest plant and ask them if they take newspaper. If they do, wait until you’ve filled a bin with newspapers. Then, drive them to the local plant and drop them off for recycling,^[3]
   
   • Unless the plant has a special focus on materials that are difficult to process, the recycling plant near you will have no problem taking your newspaper.
   • Most municipal plants do not charge a fee for dropping materials off.

[Edit]Composting Newspaper

1. Create a compost bin or pile, using your newspaper as filler. Composting is the process of piling up organic materials and allowing them to decompose over time. This can be done in a bin, box, or free-standing pile. Choose to set up a composting bin or box if you want to keep your compost contained. If you have a large yard, a free-standing pile is perfectly fine.^[4]
   
   • You need a mix of “green” and “brown” materials to compost. Green materials refer to organics that are usually green, like plants, flowers, and food waste. Browns tend to be white or brown. Newspapers count as a brown for composting purposes, even if they are white or gray in color.
   • Get a bin with a lid if you’re worried about smell. It isn’t essential for the composting process, though.
2. Layer your newspapers in the bottom half of a compost bin or pile. To effectively compost, you need an equal mixture of green and brown layers. Since newspaper takes longer to break down than standard organic waste and can blow away in the wind, lay it out flat in the bottom half of your bin to keep it weighed down. You can add any number of layers, but the more you add, the longer it will take to break down.^[5]
   
   • It doesn’t matter what type of newspaper you use or how many layers you add. The bigger your compost pile is, the longer it will take to break down, though.
   • Incorporate your newspaper in thinner layers if you want them to compost as quickly as possible.
   • Include a mixed set of green and brown layers for maximum effectiveness.
   • Add your compost by hand or with a shovel. You shouldn’t add any toxic materials to the pile to begin with, so it will be fine to touch the compost.
3. Wait 2-4 weeks for your pile to begin breaking down. Compost will break down naturally over time. Eventually, it will turn into a soil-like substance that you can use in your yard as fertilizer. Leave the pile alone for 2-4 weeks to let it start to break down.^[6]
   
4. Mix your pile and wait another 3-4 weeks for your compost to break down. The amount of time that it takes for your compost to decompose depends upon the materials, the temperature, and the air flow your compost is exposed to. After the first 2-4 weeks have passed, use a shovel or trowel to mix your pile up. Mix the pile once a week to continue introducing air, which will aid in the breakdown of the organic materials. Wait another 3-4 weeks for your pile to break down into a soil-like material.^[7]
   
   • It may take longer than 6 weeks for your compost to break down if you have a really large pile.
5. Use your compost in the garden as a topsoil. Compost is a nutrient-rich material that will promote healthy plant growth in your garden. Once your compost has broken down, spread it out across your garden as a topsoil to incorporate it into your yard or garden.^[8]
   
   • Start a new compost pile or bin once you spread your decomposed compost out.
   • You can tell when a compost pile is done decomposing when you can no longer identify the ingredients that you originally added. It should look like a uniform mound of soil-like debris.

[Edit]Upcycling and Reusing Newspaper

1. Use old newspaper as gift wrap to cut back on waste. Instead of spending money on fancy gift wrap, use stacks of old newspaper to wrap your gifts. Lay a sheet of newspaper flat and place your box or item in the center of the paper. Pull a corner up and smooth it down with the palm of your hand. Use a piece of tape to affix the corner to your item and repeat for the other corners. Use multiple sheets layered on top of one another to cover the item.^[9]
   
2. Keep shipped goods from breaking with newspaper. Newspaper is soft and makes a great packing material. Instead of using bubble wrap or packing peanuts, fill your boxes with crumpled newspaper to keep your goods from breaking or shattering while they’re being shipped.^[10]
   
   • Packing peanuts and bubble wrap are extremely difficult to recycle. This is a good way to avoid introducing them into the environment.
   • Do not use newspaper to keep perishable goods safe. The ink on the paper may make its way into the organic material.^[11]
3. Clean windows and glass with black and white newspaper. The next time you grab some window cleaner to clean your windows, use newspapers instead of paper towels. Spread the newspaper out around your palm and wipe your windows using a circular motion after spraying them with the cleaner. Dry newspaper can also be used to wipe your cleaner off and wipe your window dry.^[12]
   
   • Don’t use paper with color ink on it to do this. Sometimes, colored ink breaks down and wipes off when it gets wet. Black and white newspaper will be fine though.
   • If you really want to cut back on your carbon footprint, use a mixture of 1-part vinegar and 1-part water instead of a commercial cleaner.
   • You can compost your vinegar-soaked newspaper after you’re done. You can’t recycle it in your standard recycling bin, though.
4. Smother weeds in your garden with newspaper stacks. To use newspaper in your garden, grab a stack of 5-10 newspapers. Take them to a weed-infested area of your garden and lay them directly on top of the weeds. Then, cover the newspapers with wood chips or mulch to smother the weeds and keep them from spreading. Over time, your newspapers will decompose on top of the weeds and work their way into your soil, killing the weeds in the process.^[13]
   
   • This is a good way to get rid of newspapers naturally without introducing harmful chemicals into your garden.

[Edit]Things You’ll Need

[Edit]Using Your Standard Recycling

• Recycling bin

[Edit]Composting Newspaper

• Compost bin (optional)
• Shovel or trowel

[Edit]References

1. ↑ https://www.paperrecycles.org/media/blog/paperrecycles-blog/2018/05/22/do-you-know-how-to-recycle-all-the-different-types-of-mail-you-receive
2. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/recycle/frequent-questions-recycling
3. ↑ https://www.hennepin.us/residents/recycling-hazardous-waste/drop-off-facilities
4. ↑ http://compost.css.cornell.edu/faq.html
5. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/advice/a23945/start-composting/
6. ↑ https://earth911.com/recycling-guide/how-to-recycle-newspaper/
7. ↑ https://earth911.com/recycling-guide/how-to-recycle-newspaper/
8. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/advice/a23945/start-composting/
9. ↑ https://metro.co.uk/2018/11/27/the-eco-friendly-guide-to-christmas-gift-wrap-8169273/
10. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/14-clever-new-uses-for-old-newspapers-50685#clean-windows-and-glass-with-old-newspapers
11. ↑ https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/08/28/ban-imposed-on-use-of-newspapers-as-packing-material-in-islamabad/
12. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/a12515/cleaning-windows-with-vinegar/
13. ↑ https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/community/university-city/article9097874.html