Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It's being recycled into the earth, from whence it came.
Most definitions of recycling don't seem to fit that idea. But "composting" may be the word you are looking for.
The strict sense of recycle refers to material returning back to the same basic form or use. Which in this context would be cardboard going back to cardboard or paper back to paper.
Now, if you can take contaminated soil, treat it with activate charcoal / carbon, and return it back to garden use as soil again rather than landfill, that would be recycling. Soil back to soil.
Like I recall a lady calling me once for consultation, because she accidentally "fertilized" her lawn, and neighbor's lawn with Casoron by accident, trying to do a favor. After using a sod cutter, they added activated charcoal / carbon to lock-up the herbicide residue, the re-sod. Now that's more or less recycling. Re-using the soil again.
It's being recycled into the earth, from whence it came.
I agree. It is being recycled.
Even in areas where there is recycling, all of the paper and cardboard we bring in is not recycled.
This is a good, green use for our paper and cardboard which requires no gasoline, chemicals or electricity to recycle. And, it's clearing land for gardening without using more chemicals...
Quote:
Recycling involves processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfilling) by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production. Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third component of the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" waste hierarchy.
Even in areas where there is recycling, all of the paper and cardboard we bring in is not recycled.
This is a good, green use for our paper and cardboard which requires no gasoline, chemicals or electricity to recycle. And, it's clearing land for gardening without using more chemicals...
That excerpt is applicable where curbside recycling is not available to gain the reduction of energy use and air pollution included in the quote.
If not, then we are back to the first premise that laying paper under compost results in the use of oil, energy, coupled with sulphur dioxide pollution.
But in the loose sense of "recycle", sure, composting paper sounds feasible if it reduces pollution and puts a product to good use.
In my state trees are planted like a crop for harvest for paper and cardboard products. And then replanted. One plus is the help clean the air. If there is no market then the land will be used for no telling what. Urban sprawl?
Yep, trees are planted by paper companies with the intention of eventually being harvesting for paper (mostly loblolly pines in my area). People can use less paper all they want, but the paper companies own these trees and they will be cut down regardless.
I think some people envision paper companies cutting down 200 year old oak trees to make paper, but it just doesn't happen that way.
That excerpt is applicable where curbside recycling is not available to gain the reduction of energy use and air pollution included in the quote.
If not, then we are back to the first premise that laying paper under compost results in the use of oil, energy, coupled with sulphur dioxide pollution.
But in the loose sense of "recycle", sure, composting paper sounds feasible if it reduces pollution and puts a product to good use.
The quote was taken from the wikipedia definition of recycling.
Recycling is everything about reducing the amount of waste in landfills.
In my work, we print reports and can easily use 10 boxes (not reams) of printer paper each day. And that's not including the checks stub printed (even though most are direct deposit payroll already), envelopes.
And we're a nitch payroll company, just think how much more huge payroll companies use in paper to cater to millions of employees getting paid weekly.
Paper for mulching seems fine without worrying of the micro impact on the Earth's balance. I don't think gardeners go out of their way to buy new paper exclusively for mulching. It is often a "re-use" from a paper product. Either way, it is recycled but just different places: City's Recylcing Center, of the gardener's own yard.
The quote was taken from the wikipedia definition of recycling.
Recycling is everything about reducing the amount of waste in landfills.
There is no dark side of Lasagna Gardening.
That's an incomplete thought. Maybe as incomplete as this angle of pulling paper from recycling has been incomplete or void from most if not all organic gardening sites.
Recycling is not limited to landfills. "Recycle" is a word or idea used by news when writing about recovery or recycling water in urine, like out in space. Recycling takes on many forms.
I find the extra info about paper and lasagna gardening to be a rather fresh advance in the available information. Its so true to fact. That was one of the more original short pages I've seen in months for a really new look at materials in relation to gardening.
Googling "Dark Side of Lasagna Gardening" dropped me in on mdvaden's page for this. The information he wrote on his article match what I Googled and found at various recycle sites. Its all facts. No complication, just leaves gardeners with decisions. Guess the question is whether the gardeners have room for improvement or not.
The words "Dark Side" sure gets attention phrased that way, even though Vaden explains right away what it means.
Last edited by Obi_Wan_Kenobi; 02-13-2011 at 01:40 PM..
The strict sense of recycle refers to material returning back to the same basic form or use.
So, riddle me this....That paper and cardboard, what was its 'basic form'?
It was created from nutrients drawn up from the soil to 'grow' into a cellular form. (tree)
Now it is recycled back to the soil by way of decompsing, to start the process again.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
reduce - reuse - recycle
