How to Recycle Paper

So you want to be greener? You want to know how to recycle paper? Well here's how!

1.) Establish Connection
The first thing you should do when you decide you want to start recycling is find out what your community already has to offer. Call your county department of public works to find out about curbside pickup and drop-off centers or simply look up recycling programs in your yellow pages.

2.) Separate
Once you have established where your recyclables are going to go, you need to know how to properly separate different types of paper. There are three basic types of paper. White printer paper, newspaper, and multicolored general paper.

3.) White office/copier/printer paper
For the office paper, you are going to want to keep this all together and completely separate from anything else. White copier/printer paper is a higher quality paper and cannot be recycled with any other type. Also make sure you do not include any of the paper wrapping that the copier/printer paper may have been packaged in.

4.) Newspaper
For newspaper, you can either put it all in a brown bag, which can also be recycled with newspaper, or bundle it with twine, a natural fiber. Those newspaper inserts and ads can usually be added with the newspaper but make sure not to include and rubber bands or twistie ties or anything that is not paper.

5.) Multi-colored/general paper
For the multi colored paper, almost anything goes. If it's paper, throw it in there. Posters, ads, and even junk mail. Be sure to remove and plastic piecces such as plastic inserts, keys, or credit/membership cards before recycling junk mail.

After that all you need to do is keep them separate and when the recycling trucks come, be sure to have your recyclables outside! Unless you have to drop them off, of course.

This is a very simple and productive way to recycle. It will ease your mind, your local environment, forests, and even save you on trash bags!