Sustainability Through Shredder Recycling

Paper is one of the world’s most widely used resources. In fact, paper is so popular that we consume it faster than it can be produced, creating a constant demand for new paper that has contributed enormously to deforestation, climate change, and the destruction of important ecosystems and natural habitats. Paper is made from trees, which must be grown and harvested before they can be broken down and used to create books, cardboard boxes, paper cups, greeting cards, and the many other paper products we rely on. New ‘virgin’ paper is made from freshly felled trees and is often considered the most desirable type of paper. Virgin paper can be found in most printers, being used as letterhead, in advertising, and for other consumer products you might find in your home, at work, or in school. Fortunately, paper is a highly recyclable material and can be reused several times before the wood fibers that make it up become too short to bind together. Unfortunately, most paper products never end up in the recycling and are instead tossed carelessly in the trash. Throwing away paper products rather than recycling them not only creates more waste to crowd our landfills but also creates a renewed demand for more virgin paper, which requires the felling of more trees. Rather than throwing paper products in the trash, shredding and recycling items like bills, letters, and personal documents can help keep your personal information private while protecting the environment. Shredded paper can easily be cleaned and recycled, then made into new products, so those old bills you have kept in your drawer for years can have a renewed life as packaging, a paper cup, a cereal box, or the cover of a journal. By recycling your shredded paper, you return usable materials to manufacturers that can utilize them, preventing waste from entering a landfill and reducing public demand for virgin paper products. Recycling your shredded paper couldn’t be easier – just shred, dump into a paper bag, and bring to your local recycling facility or shredded paper facility so it can be reused. We are committed to recycling and our part in sustainability. We partner with both sfiprogram.org and Recycling Management Resources.

Real Environmental Impact

860 pounds of material collected is 0.43 tons of processed material

This translates into:

7 Trees saved ($1,750)
3,010 Gallons of Water Saves ($13.55)
1,763 Kw of Energy Saved ($141.04)
26 Pounds of Pollutants Kept Out of the Atmosphere ($130.00)
2 Cubic Yards of Landfill Saved ($100.00)

These costs are derived from official U.S. Evironmental Protection Agency calculations and actual prices from wholesale suppliers of paper, electricity, water, and landfill. Take pride in knowing your environmental efforts are leading the way and setting a great example!