Going Green: What to do for readers who won't waste paper

[Nina Mehta]

I'll admit. I don't subscribe to any print delivery newspapers; neither do my friends. It has very little to do with subscription costs or news stand prices. What am I supposed to do at the end of the week when I have a huge stack of chopped down processed trees in the recycling bin? Newspapers create a lot of... paper.

The paperless benefit is more eco-friendly and definitely convenient. I have the option to get my news from video, audio or simply reading it online (all for free, might I add).

Finally, there is a greater surge to go green. What do we do for our print readers who want to continue reading in print but have a mother-earth conscience? Do any papers have special newspaper recycling programs or subscription methods. Perhaps even the option to subscribe to only the front page section or newspaper, or creating a one page newsletter with briefs. Maybe even a pickup service that recycle the paper pack into more newspapers.

[Nina Mehta]

With Oil Prices Rising, Wood Makes a Comeback: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/us/19woodstove.html?ref=us
Will this make paper more expensive?

[Danny Dougherty]

It's a little dated by now, but I did remember this piece from the NYT: The Hidden Life of Paper and Its Impact on the Environment. The piece largely focuses on the CO₂ generated from production. I vaguely recall reading at one point that the U.S. paper industry was actually relatively sustainable and based largely in low-impact commercial farms that were set up to have minimal impact on wild wooded areas, granted there are still deforaestation issues from development and logging in other countries and for other industries.

Anyway, my favorite line from the above piece?

Recent reductions in paper size at many newspapers and declining circulation at many newspapers will, of course, also reduce the level of carbon emissions at paper mills.

Reduce that web size and save the world (not to mention the whole declining circ issue).

[Nina Mehta]

Interesting. 12-in web for all :) Thanks for the post

[Denise Covert]

Our paper has just debuted an Electronic Edition -- a PDF version of the paper.
And they had the nerve, if you are already a print-paper subscriber, to charge EXTRA for it.
HELLO?!?

*headdesk*

[Nina Mehta]

10 other uses for newspapers by Real Simple magazine (aww, this isn't what I meant)
http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/gallery/print/0,22304,1030084,...

10 New Uses for Newspaper
“Newspaper, by design, is a very absorbent product, because it has to absorb ink. But that also means it is equipped to absorb all sorts of moisture, including moisture and the resulting odors found in shoes, in vegetable drawers, and elsewhere,” says Chris Morrissey, vice president of marketing for Sun Chemical, in Northlake, Illinois, the world’s largest printing-ink manufacturer.

Use Newspaper to:
1. Deodorize food containers. Stuff a balled-up piece of newspaper into a lunch box or thermos, seal it, and let sit overnight.
2. Ripen tomatoes. Wrap them individually and leave them out at room temperature.
3. Pack delicate items.Wrap frames and figurines with several pieces of newspaper, then crumple the remaining sections to fill extra space in the box.
4. Wipe away tough streaks on glass. Use newspaper with cleaning fluid to clean mirrors and windows.
5. Preserve antique glass. Some older frames have finishes on the glass that can be damaged by cleaning solutions. Remove smudges by rubbing with newspaper dipped in a solution of one part white vinegar and one part warm water. Let air-dry.
6. Dry shoes. Place crumpled paper in them overnight.
7. Wrap gifts. Use the comics to wrap a child’s birthday gift, or try the wedding announcements for an engagement gift.
8. Create a home for slushy snow boots. During the winter, keep a pile of newspaper near the entryway. When your little snowmen and -women come home, they can toss their winter wear onto the newspaper instead of creating puddles on the floor.
9. Prepare a garden. In the fall, mow a patch of lawn to make room for a dedicated bed. Cover it with four layers of newspaper, then a four-inch layer of shredded leaves or bark mulch. Hose it down. Come spring, the compost blanket will have smothered the grass roots, and the bed will be primed for planting.
10. Keep the refrigerator vegetable drawer dry and free of smells. Line the bottom with newspaper.

[Michael Higdon]

Green newspapers are the Web. Most newspapers are highly recycled content, it's the CO2 print that comes from printing presses and highly toxic toners that's a problem, not the newsprint itself. Some papers in Europe and the North use water based toners instead of dust based but they run a lot and are messy.

Recycling paper is a city or private company issue. You can probably partner with companies who collect paper like many universities do but there's only so much that can be done. What's nice about these partner companies is that they will pay you a pretty good sum for recycling paper will people generally have to pay for trash pick up.

PDFs are also a hard way to read newspapers. Making iPhone and PDA compatible Web sites is the true green newspaper.