The TREES project in Sri Aman, lead by Cik Mashita has mainly one objective -
To educate and encourage each and everyone of us who should and must at least play a small role in saving the Earth, saving the trees.
And the main way to save trees are to recycle. reduce and reuse paper. Paper is one of the most commonly used objects in the world because of its versatility, but its use comes with a price. Since we were kids, we have used paper to draw pictures of our house, mommy and daddy, or to play around making balls or planes to throw, and this habit continues to our adult life by using notebooks, printing college papers, reports, presentations, databases, checklists, and an endless list of other uses.
Paper is useful, yes, but sometime we are not aware of what is required to get paper and the effect it has in the environment, thus, we misuse it and waste a lot. One of the biggest problems is that to produce cheap paper, thousands of trees need to be cut and another is that irresponsible use of paper leads to accumulation of landfill, but you can do something to reduce the negative effects.
Do not throw a complete piece of paper when you make a mistake writing notes or memos, instead you can use a pencil so when you make a mistake you can erase it. Also write in both sides of the paper; this will cut your consumption almost in half. Saving your boxes can help the environment too because they can be reused to store other items or presents.
Giving your old books to people that might use them is another way to save paper; give them away to public libraries or schools. Buy recycled paper to prevent further deforestation and to save a few bucks (recycled paper is usually cheaper). You can place recycling bins in your house and then take them to a recycling center once they are full.
Education is another huge factor to improve their habits regarding paper usage and recycling. That is why we have these environment projects in our school.
Don't throw away your old newspapers. Try making your own recycled paper! Recycled paper can be made from old newspaper, following the instructions below. Recycling paper uses cellulose (plant fibers) over and over again, it uses less electricity, less water, a lot less pollution, and it saves trees from being cut down!
You will need:
- a food processor or an old blender
- an electric iron
- an old wire hanger
- an old pair of panty hose
- newspaper or other paper, torn into 2-inch squares
- white glue
- water
- an insect screen or strainer (optional)
- food coloring (optional)
- a big sink or tub filled with 4 inches of water
Step One:
Make a frame out of the coat hanger. You'll need a frame for each piece of paper you make. Stretch the hanger and bend it into a rectangle/square shape. Take one leg of the panty hose and stretch it carefully over the hanger frame. Make sure it is tight and flat.
Step Two:
Put a handful of the torn up paper and some water into the food processor or blender. Blend the mixture on high until it becomes mushy. Keep adding paper and water until you have a big gray blob. You may have to add a little more water to keep things moving smoothly. Keep the food processor on until all the paper has disappeared. Then leave it on for 2 minutes.
For some color, add a handful of brown or red onion skin (not the onion itself, just the papery outer skin).
Step Three:
Put 2 tablespoons of white glue in the sink water and add all of the paper pulp you just made. Mix it really well. Use your hands.
Step Four:
Scoop the frame to the bottom of the sink, then lift it slowly. (Count to 20 slowly while you are lifting.) Let the water drain out for about a minute.
Step Five:
Hang the frames on a clothesline or put them out in the sun. Wait until they are completely dry with no dampness at all. You can then gently peel off the paper.
Step Six:
Use the iron, set on the hottest setting, to steam out your paper. You can keep making paper until the pulp is all strained out of the sink. Mix up the sink every time you make a new piece.
Try other things like using in insect screen over a wood frame, or a strainer instead of the pantyhose and hanger. Try adding lots of food coloring, for colored paper, or try adding lint or leaves to the food processor. Your paper will have an interesting texture.
Making your own paper can be fun, and it's a great way to re-use old paper. You can recycle all kinds of paper for re-use.
