NERC in the News
Green Seeds: Recycle Paper
Lincoln Journal, Concord, Massachusetts
December 5, 2008
By Diana Smith
Lincoln - The following information comes from The Mass Recycles Paper Campaign.
The Mass Recycles Paper Campaign is a partnership between MassRecycle, Inc., MassDEP, EPA New England, and a number of recycling and waste management companies to increase the amount of paper recycled in Massachusetts each year.
The goal of the Campaign is to recycle 1 million tons of paper that is currently buried or burned each year in Massachusetts. MassDEP estimates that Massachusetts residents, businesses, and government agencies throw away 1.5 million tons of paper each year. Throwing away 1.5 million tons of paper costs these entities as much as $100 million in disposal fees each year. Paper that is thrown away also represents lost revenue. The DEP estimates that this paper, were it recycled instead of thrown away, is worth $30-$50 million annually.
Recycling more paper also has significant environmental benefits. If we recycle one million more tons each year we would:·
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 928,000 metric tons of carbon equivalents, or more than 3 million tons of carbon dioxide.
- Save approximately 22 trillion BTUs of energy (this is the amount of energy required to power 212,000 homes for one year in Massachusetts, or the equivalent of removing 318,000 average passenger cars from the road).
The Mass Recycles Paper Campaign points to a 2000 Northeast Recycling Council report that notes recycling supports more than 1,400 businesses and 19,000 jobs and generates about $64 million in state tax revenues.
Add to that the interesting tidbit that much of our paper and cardboard is remanufactured right in Massachusetts — made into corrugated cardboard at Rand-Whitney in Worcester; and into cereal boxes, book covers (including the last Harry Potter book) and game boards at the Newark Group's Fitchburg plant.
And if somehow you've forgotten why we recycle, one reason is it saves the paper from clogging landfills. If state residents and businesses actually recycled more than 1 million pounds of paper, MassRecycle officials say, Massachusetts would reduce 3 million tons of greenhouse gases and reduce energy needs by the equivalent of 3.8 million barrels of oil.
