Author: Sangeetha Murali
There is no doubt we are living in a country filled with garbage today. Currently, India produces around 100,000 tons of municipal solid waste every day, which sums up to about 36.5 million tons annually. Civic authorities are spending about INR1000-1500 per ton for handling this solid waste.
Waste management primarily involves the collection of garbage, transport to a treatment site, treatment, and then disposal. In this, the biggest expenditure of about 65% occurs in the collection of waste. To prevent such costs in waste collection, this article focuses on the reuse of paper and plastic waste to reduce the amount of waste produced.
Why should we re-use paper?
Nearly 93% of the paper we use is derived from trees. To produce one kilogram of paper, 324 liters of water is used, while one sheet of A4 paper takes up 10 liters of water. To meet this ever-increasing demand for paper, trees are being cut rapidly and we are faced with serious repercussions of deforestation. While it was estimated that the ongoing electronic revolution will reduce the demand for paper, the lack of equal distribution and opportunity to access electronic benefits has meant that the demand for paper continues to rise in developing countries and, it is predicted to double by 2030.
10 Ideas to Reuse Waste Paper
John C Sawhill once said “A society is not defined by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy.” Have you created any innovative items out of waste paper? We at Ecoideaz have compiled some simple yet wonderful ideas to reuse waste paper lying at home:
Paper Mache Decoration Item
Source
Paper mache is a paste formed by mixing 1/4th of water and glue to 3/4th of paper. Use waste paper strips along with the paste to create decoration items of different shapes and sizes.
Paper Coil Paper Bowl
To make a paper coil bowl, create paper tubes from magazine pages and then paste all those tubes and then coiled into a large disc.
Newspaper Baskets
Baskets can be weaved using strips of newspaper moulded in varying patterns, but this needs skills of basket weaving!
Recycled Paper Photo Frames
Source
Photo frames can be created by lumping together sheets of paper into the sides of frame. You can also add in ornamental items made from paper onto the frames.
Recycled Paper Bags
Use two sheets of newspaper folded horizontally and stapled at the loose ends to create one paper bag. Pitch in old cloth strings or jute threads for the the support or handle.
Recycled Ice Cream Sticks Bookmarks
Collect ice cream sticks and paint them in different patterns. For children, go with animal and cartoon shapes while readers can choose short quotes or name of the book’s author on the stick.
Pen Stand
Collect and shape strips of newspaper into sticks. You can also use colorful paper tapes to keep them from disassembling. Use a cardboard piece as the bottom. Place the sticks together using glue or stitch them together using cotton threads.
Recycled Paper Wall Hangings
Source: Greendiary
Cut variously colored newspapers into circle-shaped pieces. Use a rubber or plastic ball as the base. Apply glue or double-side tape over the circumference of the ball and stick the pieces onto them.
Recycled Paper Bracelets
Immerse the sticks in boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain the water and bend them. Let the sticks cool. Use a glass tumbler to give the sticks the appropriate shape.
Upcycled Paper Ear Rings
Paper earrings need to be created using thick-sized sheets. You can find these in magazine covers or also using paper mache paste. Use paper tape to bring the sheets into circular or any desired shape. The advantage of using paper tape is that you can paint it to the color you wish before gluing them together to complete the earring.
