Go green, read the newspaper

Many say subscribing to a printed newspaper is not ecologically friendly. They suggest going green and reading news on a computer, tablet or smart phone instead. But are they right? Could it be that a print newspaper is really a more green solution than reading electronically and then buying other products to do all those things a person can do with a read newspaper? I'm not against reading the news on an electronic device. I do it often myself. But is it really less green to buy and read a printed paper? I think not.

Consider this: Reading the news, or watching it, on an electronic device requires electricity, batteries and fuel and materials to produce the device and the power which runs it and provides the Internet connection. When the device wears out or is updated for the latest and greatest, the electronics must be dismantled, melted down, recycled.

Newspapers, on the other hand, do not require electricity or an Internet connection to read. They can be taken anywhere, dropped, stepped on, smashed and even gotten wet, and they can still be spread out and read. Newspapers or clippings from them can be stored away for generations and then taken out and reread or shown to children and grandchildren.

And, once a person has read a newspaper from cover to cover, its usefulness is far from over. I can't begin to tell you all the uses for newspapers after they've been read and before they are dropped into a recycling bin, but here are just a few I've gleaned from years of practical experience and research:

  1. Need to wrap a present? Why spend money on wrapping paper when just the right pages from a newspaper will do? And, if you're talented, you can even make flowers, ribbons and bows from pages of your favorite publication.

  2. Do you need to pack or ship breakable items? Crumpled or shredded newspapers make great packing material and are less expensive and more environmentally friendly than many other packing materials.

  3. Need to wash windows in your house or car? Why waste money on expensive paper towels when newspaper works great and leaves a streak-free shine? And newspapers are good for a host of other household cleaning jobs too.

  4. If you've got a new puppy and are in the process of house-training, layers of newspaper can work as well as expensive pads. And newspapers work great for lining the cages of other pets too, from birds to hamsters.

  5. And did you know that newspapers absorb spills almost as well as paper towels? They can be used in the kitchen, as well as the garage, to clean up messes and absorb leaks and spills.

  6. Doing some painting? Newspapers work great for drop cloths and can be taped over windows to make cleanup easy and inexpensive.

  7. Have wet boots or shoes? Some crumpled-up newspapers packed inside will absorb the moisture. I've never tried it, but when that electronic device accidentally gets dropped in "you know where," it could be that putting it in a bag of shredded newspaper will draw out the moisture as well as anything else.

  8. Need to line some shelves or drawers? You can't beat newspapers, and they're easy and cheap to change when they get dirty.

  9. Need a tablecloth for a messy dinner or picnic? Why not the sports section or classifieds?

  10. Need to decorate some walls or a table top? Carefully placed and sealed newspaper pages can be decorative and educational. Some folks use newspaper pages just like wall paper.

  11. Electronic devices sink in water, but newspaper pages can be folded into paper boats and provide entertainment in the pool for young and old alike.

  12. Newspapers can be used in flower beds and gardens for weed control and to keep the soil moist. To start seeds for a spring garden, spread them between damp sheets of newspaper.

  13. They work great for drying and cleaning the garden harvest too. And if you're shucking corn, you can spread out a newspaper to catch the silk.

  14. Newspapers can be used as compost material, balancing out the plant materials in your compost pile and getting the carbon and nitrogen mixture just right.

  15. Newspapers absorb odors and can be used to freshen up refrigerators, other containers and even smelly shoes. Try lining your produce drawers to keep vegetables dry and your refrigerator smelling better.

  16. Those who have wood stoves already know a crumpled-up newspaper can make a great fire starter, but did you know that old newspapers can be rolled tightly into logs and burned in a stove?

  17. Tired of scraping ice off your windshield in the morning on wintry days? Cover that glass with a sheet of newsprint the night before.

  18. For the seamstress in the family, old newspaper sheets can work great for making clothing patterns.

  19. With a couple of flexible sticks, some string and some tape or glue, newspapers work great for making kites and flying them on windy days. A break from the electronic devices is healthy for kids. Newspapers can be used to make airplanes too; and if they crash, there's more building material arriving with each new issue.

  20. When accidents happen and sheet rock needs to be patched, newspaper can be crumpled up to fill the holes and then smoothed over with joint compound or patching material.

Yes, I could go on almost forever with second-hand uses for newspapers. There's paper mache, book covers, hats, confetti, pinatas, dustpans, fans and more. Perhaps one of the best uses I heard back in the day when my children were born was as a semi-sterile drop cloth for emergency childbirth and a wrap for the new child. I kept a fresh newspaper in the car just in case.

Anyway, go buy a paper and get your money's worth and then some. Feel good about your eco-friendly decision to read the paper.

And if you think reading a printed newspaper is not really going green, try doing all the things I've listed above with your smart phone or tablet.

Randy Moll is the managing editor of the Westside Eagle Observer. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Editorial on 07/02/2014