Living Green Tips and Info

Did you know? :: Recycled paper takes about 60% less energy and water to make than new paper

There really is so much more to a newspaper than just ink and paper. Who knows how many ways one could actually recycle it to benefit us in our everyday quest to living a greener life. I have incorporated a few uses in our home and I want to share those with you. If you have your own ideas, I would love to hear from you in the comment section. Do not sit there thinking your idea is silly. Most likely, it could be quite useful to us all.

Shredding! I love the criss-cross shredders. Not only do they ensure your important documents are beyond putting back together for anyone attempting to do you harm, it makes it easier to use for other ‘greener’ things. Just bag it up and store it. You never know when you may have a good reason to use it. It compacts well and does not take up much room.

Below is the list of uses that I have come up with. Enjoy and don’t forget to leave us your tidbits.

1. I love to use my newspaper shreds for packaging. I use to use the foam peanuts but have found that if you use enough and pack well, the shreds do a bang up job at protecting you valuable shipments. If you must, you can use a small amount of bubble wrap just around the object to protect it further.

2. I breed and sell Pomeranians. Instead of using just a flat piece of newspaper in the carrier the pups are shipped in, I use shreds. The reasoning behind this is the fact it absorbs much more liquid and any waste gets sort-of wrapped in the shreds. The benefit is how much cleaner the pup is once it arrives to it’s new owners. Awesome!

3. Be sure to read my previous post and visit the blog indicated to learn about making your on eco-friendly cat litter from newspaper shreds.

4. You can stuff a pillow case with newspaper shreds and sew the end up for a comfortable sit. The paper does eventually deteriorate and you would have to replace it or you can throw it away. Biodegradable you know! Obviously, the comfort would not last long as the paper compresses, plus it does not fluff well. But, it’s a thought. lol

5. Shredded newspaper goes great in hamster/gerbil cages too. Not only is it absorbent, the rodents love to make nest bedding from it.

6. The handy dandy shreds make a neat background for your eBay photos too. Seriously!

There are more ideas swimming in my head and I’ll update this post as I go along or think of them.

Here is the shredder that I am using. This is a link to Walmart where you probably will find the best price.