Eco - Local Eco News

POSTED: Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009

New, fun ways to recycle Eco and The Bellingham Herald

Have a printed copy of the latest issue of Eco, or The Bellingham Herald?

Here are 10 unique ways to reuse your paper.

1. Shred it and use the newspaper as a layer of mulch under your regular mulch material (shredded wood or leaves). The newspaper will keep out weeds and keep plant roots warm this winter.

2. Spread it out across the kitchen table or floor for the messy fun of carving pumpkins this Halloween.

3. Play a word hunt game with you kids through the pages of ECO to increase their vocabulary. Starter words: "reduce," "reuse," and "recycle."

4. Use it for dressmaker's patterns when you're sewing up homemade Halloween costumes.

5. Wrap up your Christmas ornaments in newspaper to protect them from damage when you put away your holiday tree.

6. Attach sheets of newspaper to the edge of painter's tape along woodwork when painting a room. The newspaper is an extra protection against splatters and spills.

7. Recycle the newspaper yourself by making homemade paper.

Instructions:

- Tear up newspaper into small bits. Add two cups of hot water to every 1/2 cup of shredded paper.

- Whirl the paper and water in a blender to make pulp. Mix in two teaspoons of powder starch.

- Pour the pulp into a flat pan. Slide a non-rusting screen the size of the paper you want to make into the pan and cover with a thin layer of the pulp mixture.

- Lift screen out of pan and let drain. Put screen between layers of newspaper and use a rolling pin to squeeze out more water.

- Flip over screen while still in newspaper sandwich and allow pulp to gently fall onto layer of newspaper. Do not touch until pulp had dried at least 12 hours.

Now you have new paper! Add shredded colored paper or glitter into the blender for a decorative design.

(Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources)

8. Use newspaper to soak up the grease from your morning bacon or other oils. This keeps grease from going down the drain and prevents clogs.

9. Make a newspaper pumpkin to hang in your house or on your front porch.

- Cut two pieces of newspaper in equal-sized circles, or pumpkin shapes.

- Staple around the edge of both circles, leaving at least an eight-inch opening. Stuff crumpled newspaper inside carefully so the newspaper doesn't tear. Finish stapling around the edge to secure the crumpled paper inside.

- Paint all over with orange tempura paint. Then use black tempura paint to give your pumpkin a jack-o'-lantern face.

- Use fishing line to create a hanger for the pumpkin.

10. Pass on ECO to a friend to read. Then, make sure they either recycle it or read above.

Ericka Pizzillo Cohen is an Ohio freelance writer and former reporter for The Bellingham Herald