Paper is one of the best examples of a double-edged sword. On one end, it has become an indispensable part of our lives, serving as the most widely used medium for written and printed communication. On the other end, it is one of the biggest contributors to environmental degradation and global warming, with over 85 million tons of paper waste generated every year globally.

To put this into perspective, paper waste makes up nearly 40% of municipal waste and over 50% of waste dumped in landfills. Moreover, its production and safe disposal require a lot of energy and raw materials. Thus, paper recycling has become an important practice involved in reversing some of the damage inflicted on the environment.

Plus, many countries, such as the UAE, along with local green bodies and businesses, are trying to spread awareness about paper recyclables and their impact, prompting people and businesses to switch to recycled paper. Simply put, recycled paper is more eco-friendly since it skips most of the conventional manufacturing processes, leaving a much smaller carbon footprint.

However, if this alone doesn’t convince you to hop on the bandwagon, keep reading to see our five reasons to switch to recycled paper in this post:

5 Reasons to Switch to Recycled Paper

1.    Using Recycled Paper Conserves Natural Resources

Paper comes from chopping down trees and processing timber using a variety of chemicals, water, and energy resources. As paper usage increases, so does the demand for wood. As a consequence, more trees are chopped down, which leads to a domino of negative effects from desertification to soil erosion, climate change, flooding, and habitat inundation.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, using just one ton of recycled paper can save around 18 trees. Moreover, it can save around 32,000 liters of water and 4000 kiloWatts of energy.

2.    Recycled Paper Reduces Global Warming

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claims that every ton of recycled paper can reduce nearly 3.6 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Moreover, the lesser the amount of paper ending up in landfills, the lesser the amount of methane produced due to decomposition.

Furthermore, chopping down trees to make paper only adds to the problem since trees naturally absorb CO2 and regulate the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Paper recycling is a much less energy-intensive process compared to the production of virgin paper pulp. Simply put, recycling companies save anywhere between 7% and 57% energy when recycling old paper products to produce new ones.

3.    Recycled Paper Reduces Solid and Chemical Waste

The math is simple – the more paper we recycle, the less paper ends up in landfills. Traditionally, most used paper is incinerated, if not left to decompose naturally. This releases a variety of toxins that leach into the environment through the soil and water, as well as through insects that feed on them and get eaten by larger organisms in the food chain until, eventually, they end up in our bodies.

Secondly, paper production relies heavily on water and other chemicals, such as chlorine, sulfur dioxide, sodium sulfide, organic halides, etc. Thus, when the process is complete, the used water produced and ending up in our sewer systems and other water bodies contains chemicals that can have catastrophic effects on the environment as well as our lives. The world already faced several public scandals concerning contaminated waters, causing long-term illnesses or even deaths. Switching to recycled paper is not only a habit that helps to preserve our natural resources, but it is also a strategic move to avoid future health and sanitary problems. 

4.    Using Recycled Paper Saves Water

Water is a scarce resource, especially in the UAE, where there are no permanent rivers or lakes. The country relies heavily on desalination, groundwater, and used water treatment – all expensive processes. The usual paper production requires thousands of gallons of water every day. In contrast, paper recycling requires less than half the amount, but for an equal quality regarding the final product.

Thus, switching to recycled paper can have a positive impact on the UAE’s sustainability agenda to ensure an efficient supply of water for domestic and commercial purposes. Regulating these domestic and commercial water needs is laborious and can be planned only with a certain delay, but recycling paper is a process that can be applied now, where you want, when you want, thanks to the RECAPP app.

5.    Using Recycled Paper Saves Money

From a financial perspective, switching to recycled paper is a great way to reduce business expenditure. Paper recycling is a relatively less resource- and energy-intensive process compared to virgin paper production. Thus, it’s much cheaper to procure. In the UAE, you can find it available in many local stores, including Manchester Stationery, Quick Office, and Arabian Kraft Paper.

Conclusion

So, there you have it – 5 reasons why we should use recycled paper instead of opting for new paper every time. Plus, recycled paper is easily available everywhere due to the emergence of paper recycling plants and companies, such as Union Paper Mills, Paper Chase International, and Scandanavian Paper Industries, to name a few. 

At RECAPP, we aim to educate our clients and readers regarding different ways they can lead a more sustainable lifestyle. You can go one step further by safely disposing of paper used from your home or office by opting for our free recyclables pick-up service. Go to the Store and get started right away!