The power of paper recycling

In Dalton, recycling is part of everyday life, and it’s something that even kids can do.

One of the first things any of us learn to recycle is paper. It may seem so simple, but recycling your paper when you can and correctly can make a big impact. Luckily, it is easy to recycle it here whether it is through curbside, by swinging through a convenience center or even taking part in a school program.

For those living within Dalton’s city limits, participating in the curbside recycling program is as easy as separating your recyclable paper — like newspapers, magazines, junk mail and cardboard — and placing it in the blue recycling bin. Dalton Public Works collects your recycling each week at the same time as your trash can, taking the hassle out of the process. If you don’t yet have a bin, call (706) 278-7077.

If you live outside the city or simply prefer to drop off your recycling yourself, there are four convenience centers available throughout Whitfield County. These drop-off locations are easy to use, with clearly marked bins so you know exactly where to place your recyclables. To find which location is best for you and a list of accepted materials visit dwswa.org.

Schools in Dalton also play a key role in paper recycling. All schools in Whitfield County and the city work with the Target Recycling program with the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority to promote recycling awareness among students, encouraging them to bring paper waste from home and recycle it at school. This makes paper recycling easy for families and teachers, and students get to see firsthand the benefits of recycling.

You can recycle newspapers, magazines, office paper, junk mail and even paper grocery bags through any of the local recycling programs. It’s important to make sure the paper is clean and dry. If it’s been used to wrap food or has grease stains, like a pizza box, it shouldn’t go in the recycling bin. Also, things like plastic-coated paper or paper with glitter can’t be recycled either. Taking an extra moment to ensure the paper you’re recycling is clean and dry helps maintain the quality of the recycled materials and keeps things running smoothly.

Once your paper is collected, we sort and bale the product and send it to a mill in Georgia where the paper is cleaned and mixed with water to turn it into a mushy substance called pulp. The pulp is cleaned again to remove any ink or glue, and then it’s made into fresh, new paper products.

When you don’t recycle your paper has to be made from trees, and in a world where deforestation continues to threaten ecosystems, recycling becomes a simple way to preserve these critical resources. By recycling we reduce the demand for virgin paper and save trees that would otherwise be cut down to meet that need. In fact, for every ton of paper that’s recycled, approximately 17 trees are spared. That might seem like a small number at first but when a community like Dalton works together, those savings quickly multiply. Just last year our schools recycled enough to save 3,536 trees.

In addition to conserving trees, recycling paper reduces our water, energy and landfill use. The process of using recycled paper uses significantly less water and energy than the process of creating pulp from trees, and much of what ends up in our landfill consists of paper that could have been recycled. By recycling our paper we are ensuring we have more land that isn’t reserved for a landfill and clean water and air.

Ultimately, recycling is more than just a way to get rid of old paper, it’s an investment in our community’s future. It protects forests, reduces pollution and makes our community a healthier place to live. Let’s work together to keep our town green and make sure the things we use today don’t become trash tomorrow.

Amy Hartline is the recycling and education program coordinator for the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority. Have a recycling question? Contact her at (706) 278-5001 or ahartline@dwswa.org.