What do you do with used papers?

Most of my used paper ends up in the recycling bin. Some of the material is a bit sensitive so that part gets shredded. My work does involve using a lot of paper so I do need to have a system in place so as not to get overwhelmed. If I have a document that I want to keep (but it is on paper) and I don't need the original, I will scan it to make a digital copy and get rid of the hard copy. I feel I have enough clutter around without the additional problem of stacks upon stacks of paper.

 

I really don't have much paper these days. I have gone almost entirely digital.

As for kid's school papers, etc, they end up getting tossed in the recycling. Sometimes random newspapers will get used for packing, etc, but I just don't have much reason to hold onto most of it.

 

I do a lot with used paper. Recently I have made a purse out of used magazine papers. You can find links on You Tube. It turned out really good and it wasn't that hard to make. You can use this same technique to make picture frames and paper beads for jewelry. I used this method to make a set of napkin rings as well by decorating toilet paper roles with the newspaper, gluing it, and then painting over it with lacquer. I have seen coasters and endless items using magazine paper art. It looks really cool. My husband takes old paper that is blank on one side and cuts it into fours to make notepaper. But for the other types of paper that we no longer need or can use, we try to recycle.

 

I do recycle. In my area there are guys who come and buy the paper per pound. Okay it is not that much but it is worth it. Rather than the papers just filling up the space in the room, just sell them to get some good amount of money back after using them.

 

I sell all my used paper to recycling centers. The price per kg is not that great but considering how much paper passes through my hands in one year it adds up quite nicely. And not only do I get some money out of it but I help save some trees.

Having friends that create papier mache art sounds awesome, eppie!

 

I keep it, especially the ones which still have the other side free. I put it in a small box near the printer so that whenever I would need to print something that's not really an important document, then I can just use that.

For those which are fully occupied, I would put it in one bin and when I've accumulated them, I would bring to the nearby recycling center. It's amazing because they will pay you back as well based on the weight of the recyclables that you brought in. It's a good way to keep your home organized and at the same time, you help save the environment.

In general, I also try to practice a paperless life where I would not choose to use paper if I can just type it in my computer or phone. Paper tends to accumulate if you rely on it a lot for your activities.

 

I keep old newspapers for myself because they work really well when I use them to clean my windows. For any other papers and boxes, there is a guy who goes around the community area to pick up all unused papers so I just give them to the guy for a few dollar.

 

Most of the used paper goes into the recycle bin. If there are sensitive information on them, I rip out the parts with the sensitive info and rip that into tiny pieces, then throw them away in different places. If the used paper has a an empty side, then I cut them up into smaller squares and use them again to write notes and memos.

 

I always put used paper and newspaper out to be recycled. Just seems a shame not to-- I shred what I need to, but then it really feels good to put out big piles of paper and know it will be reused and recycled. I do it every week and since I work in a printer shop I make sure everybody's paper at the shop gets recycled too!

 

I live in a small, rural town so the paper products that are garbage go into my burn barrel. My area has a high fire risk right now so I only burn at night and after I wet down the area around the barrel. After a month or so I take the ashes and put them in the area around certain tree's and run water over them so they can start soaking into the ground. Ashes from paper products make good fertilizer for tree's. That where they started after all.

 

I use them in any ways I can use them which in most cases don't come apparent. So I would have stash them for quite a while, until I find use on them, and I never throw, sell them or give away. Some of them I take as a reference like the old newspapers. There are times that I would come across them to reread it and I am glad that in that sometimes, I am able to find another interesting stuff to read. With the use bond papers, if their back part is not yet used, I use them to print other stuff like text that I am required to read and bring to school, but not formal papers to turn in for reports. The rest I find use mostly in doing collage or other artworks like origami.

 

I shred any mail that has my name on it. I've debated on whether I should get a shredder, but I think it's easier and cheaper to just go to Fedex Office and use the shredding service. It's only $0.79 per pound and I never have to shred more than a pound at a time. A good shredder is like $70, that would take years to pay for itself. Other miscellaneous papers just go in the recycling.

At the end of the schoolyear in years past, I would take all my school notes and burn them in the backyard firepit, haha... don't do this at home kids! But it's cathartic.

Any old newspapers get saved and torn up to use in my worm composting bin.

 

When I had a hamster, I used to place the old newspaper on the plastic under their cage to absorb their pee and poo. Now that all of them have died, the old newspapers just gets sold to the person who goes door to door to collect newspapers and other scrap material that can be sold to junk shops.

 

Bookmaking and Notetaking

Ten years ago I entered a writing course in which the instructor suggested students make a note out of their used paper. Cute idea. Each paper is folded in four and then students create tiny books by binding them together with thread or using staples and glue. We used the little notes to write down our ideas for the writing prompts.

I was inspired by the idea and began to use them for bookmaking. First I made pulps out of them by following instructions from online videos, and then I turned them into book leafs. This was hard to maintain though, and they can be very fragile. For the covers of the book I used cartons covered in used cloth. They were fun to make, but they lacked the niche and home made feel to them because I wasn't decorating them enough.

Historically, used papers have always been used essentially as scrap paper. I do my math calculations on them, usually on the back of the used papers, and in school I always turn my used papers into a scrap book. I fold used papers and bind them together. I don't take them home with me, and just leave them on the desk for the cleaning service to deal with. Sometimes I write new words on them, but only if I don't have my note book with me. When I have my note book with me I immediately copy the notes onto my note book.

 

When we are through with newspapers and other papers, we take them to
the toilet for use as toilet paper. In some instances, we use them to
light wood in the kitchen for cooking purposes. Most people
accumulate the papers and sell them to local butcheries for packaging
meat and as hand wipers.

 

We don't throw them away. We have used papers around the house because I print worksheets for my son. After using both sides, we soak them in a basin of water for 24 hours. We then roll them in a ball and let them dry under the sun for a day or two. After that, we store the dried paper balls in a cabinet. We can use them as fuel when we suddenly run out of gas and have to wait for LPG delivery.

 

Papers with sensitive information are shredded and disposed of in the garbage. Newspapers, on the other hand, can be very useful for a number of situations, for cleaning glass windows, cleaning windshields, and for soaking up excessive amounts of water.