Dear Recycle Lady

Dear Recycle Lady,

There seems to be a lot of paper recycling. What products are made from recycled paper?

Just Curious

Dear Just Curious,

Products made from recycled paper depend on what kind of recycled paper is used. How2recycle defines four kinds of recycled paper: newspaper, magazines, cardboard, and office paper. Old newspapers are recycled into building insulation, telephone directories, paperboard, kitty litter, sheetrock, countertops, and paper plates, as well as other items. Recycled magazines are recycled into lumber, paperboard, and newspapers. Corrugated cardboard is recycled into new cardboard, paper bags and paperboard. Recycled office paper is used to create more office paper, paper towels, and toilet paper, as well as other amazing products, including paper bowls, dresses, furniture, bottles, handbags, vases, lamps and lampshades, 3D wallpaper tiles, biodegradable coffins, and even recyclable paper laptops. See https://ecofriend.com/stunning-products-recycled-paper for a complete listing and descriptions.

Dear Recycle Lady,

Environmental organizations are now sending out online petitions to be signed. Does signing these petitions accomplish anything?

To Sign or Not Sign

Dear To Sign or Not Sign,

Green America answers this question with a “resounding yes!” Thousands of signatures on a petition tells a company that there is a growing consumer awareness of major environmental issues for the company. They also let the company know what changes or what environmental damage consumers are concerned about and encourage companies to move forward with change.  Petitions are away of building a list of people interested in a particular issue and to raise funds to support a particular project.

However, there are precautions to consider before signing a petition. Do you trust the organization sponsoring the petition? Do you think this change is possible? Does the petition have a compelling message and is it targeted to a decision maker who could affect change? Is the petition looking for addresses to add to a database or to sell to other organizations? Is it simply a way to raise funds? Petitions should state a clear problem and a viable solution. According to https://billmoyers.com, online petitions are a tactic that have been used in many successful campaigns from stopping the Keystone XL Pipeline to preserving net neutrality. “Signing a petition to end nuclear war or to solve climate change is pointless,” says Jason Mogus, a strategist and founder of NetChange Consulting. A good petition with lots of signatures can make a difference, but a bad petition can clog your inbox with spam!

Note:  The Oxford English Dictionary defines “slacktivism” as the study of digital activism. It is actions performed via the internet in support of a political or social cause but regarded as requiring little time or involvement, e.g. signing an online petition or joining a campaign group on a social media website or application.

Kudos to the City of Lewisburg for creating Lewisburg-opoly, a fun game celebrating Lewisburg,and Late For The Sky for manufacturing the game completely of earth-friendly materials.

Have questions about recycling, or interesting information about recycling?

Send questions or requests to recyclelady@greenbrier-swa.com. Dear Recycle Lady is sponsored jointly by the Greenbrier Recycling Center and Greenworks Recycling.