Somtimes people ask Examiner production manager Paul Hunting how many trees had to be sacrificed to produce The Examiner each day.
Although around eight tons of paper, known as newsprint, are used each day on The Examiner’s presses, Hunting is proud to say it is not at the expense of any new trees.
The Examiner uses 100 percent recycled newsprint.
“The state of Missouri has a law that newspapers must use at least 50 percent recycled paper,” Hunting said. “But we have the ability to purchase 100 percent recycled paper, and the cost is the same, so we do that because it is better for the environment.”
The recycled paper comes from paper mills in the United States and Canada, which are the main suppliers for the newspaper industry.
While producing The Examiner each day, about 15 tons of scrap paper are generated each week. The Examiner sells the scraps to Deffenbaugh Recycling and Waste Management Services, which compacts and picks it up, processes it at its Kansas City plant, and sells it back to paper mills.
Readers who get newspapers at home can also recycle. There are many drop-off points for newspapers around the community. Many school, church or other groups collect newspapers for fundraising efforts.
The Paper Industry Association Council reports that for every ton of paper recycled, more than 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space are saved.
“It’s clear that we must all continue to work together by recycling used paper. Recycling is easy to do, and it’s good for business and the environment,” says the PAIC web site.
The American Forest and Paper Association announced that in 2007, 56 percent of paper consumed in the United States was recovered for recycling. They set a goal for 60 percent recovery by 2012.
Besides paper, the other main resource used to produce the newspaper each day is ink. Hunting estimates The Examiner uses 400 to 500 gallons of ink every week.
The Examiner purchases ink that is made from soy beans rather than petroleum products.
“The soy bean ink is naturally produced, and is actually better for our equipment,” Hunting said. “The quality is just the same, and it supports the production of soy beans rather than using more oil resources.”
