The global consumption of paper has risen by a whopping 400% in the last 40 years. Over two million trees are cut down for global paper consumption every day. This amounts to about four billion trees being felled to meet the paper needs across the world every year!
It is therefore imperative that steps be taken to control this situation. While switching to recycled paper helps, a lot more needs to be done to significantly reduce the amount of virgin paper getting manufactured.
Therefore, for a sustainable future, we need to lower the paper waste generated at home and make small, but significant contributions towards the environment!
Simple Ways to Reduce Paper Waste at Home
Adopting some simple habits and making some lifestyle alterations will go a long way in reducing the amount of paper waste that is currently generated at the household level.
Replacing paper napkins with cloth napkins:
Did you know that globally, discarded paper towels/napkins/tissues result in 254 million tons of trash every year?!
To add to this, paper napkins cannot even be recycled as they would be contaminated with food and other materials. Switching to cloth napkins, even if it's just while eating to begin with, will make a huge difference. In cases where you must use a paper napkin, opt for recycled paper napkins.
Avoid paper dinnerware and cups
Though convenient, paper dinnerware and cups are extremely harmful to the environment. In addition to using large quantities of paper, they also cannot be recycled due to food residue which is hard to separate and process. They, therefore, end up in landfills and cause additional damage.
The best alternative is to opt for reusable cups and dinnerware when you go out for picnics or have a dinner party. Another option, which has recently started gaining traction, is the use of edible plates and cutlery made from wheat bran, millets and more!
Use cloth bags instead of paper ones:
We've all struggled with carrying heavy groceries in paper bags, while protecting them from the rain and preventing them from getting torn. Not only are paper bags difficult to use, their sustainability factor isn't great either.
Cloth bags, in comparison, don't tear easily and can be reused multiple times. You can opt to reuse your paper bags for collecting trash or compost them.
Read e-papers, borrow books and go digital with your monthly bills:
Instead of traditional newspapers, opt for an e-paper subscription or get updated on the daily happenings through other online channels.
Additionally, instead of purchasing books, opt for reading e-books or borrowing books from the library or your friends. You can also consider buying second-hand books to contribute to the sustainability of the environment. Audiobooks are also becoming a popular medium for consuming content these days.
Other innovative ways to reduce paper waste include:
Conclusion
In addition to adopting these simple but effective habits, it is equally important to spread the word among your friends and family to get the ball rolling.
Reducing paper waste is the first step. Using recycled paper products is the next.
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