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Recycled Paper Goods Give trees a break by buying recycled paper with the highest possible post-consumer content. Post-consumer material has completed its life as a consumer item and has been discarded for disposal and then recovered and reused.
Better yet, be aware of your paper use. Sometimes paper towels are needed, but other times what's wrong with a dish rag or biodegradable European Sponge Cloth? Just ring it out and hang it up.
Green Home recommends recycled paper that is processed without chlorine. Normal bleaching methods use chlorine compounds that can create toxic byproducts, such as dioxin and formaldehyde. These by-products turn up later in lakes and rivers, and eventually make their way into you and me. Besides post-consumer content, Green Home looks for paper products that are made from trees that have been certified as sustainably harvested. This means that the forest has been well-managed, according to the criteria of established wood certifiers, such as the Forest Stewardship Council. The average American consumes more than 700 pounds of paper each year, so please, try and use it wisely.
Don't forget that most recycled content paper can be composted and turned into healthy fertilizer for your garden. Luckily, Green Home has a complete line of
Home Composters to help you make the most of your waste!
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