One Man's Trash

It’s been a stressful day. I’m awaiting a refill on my anxiety medication; this amplifies even the most minor of situations. I’m unemployed despite hours of applying for jobs, and I’m overwhelmed when I think about my finances. I need something to take my mind off things and still my shaking hands.

A box in the corner of my room holds stacks of paper from notebooks I’ve cleaned out, junk mail, or scraps I no longer need. With a coffee can between my legs, I plop myself down on the floor and carefully cut the paper into little squares or strips. This easy, mindless activity paired with Set It Off blaring in the background is able to calm me from my anxious state.

If a stranger were to walk into my room and see this silly coffee can full of paper scraps, they might suggest it go in the garbage, but I have a much better, eco-friendly use for it.

According to a study done by the University of Southern Indiana, approximately one billion trees-worth of paper are thrown away each year just in the United States! How much of this paper is wasted by credit card companies begging for money via mail? How many colleges, businesses, and banks print one-sided, doubling the amount of paper they actually need? And how many people don’t think twice about chucking it in the trash when they’re done with it?

I am lucky enough to have a recycling bin just a block from my house, but for some, the process of recycling is much more extensive. If recycling costs more money and effort than simply feeding a dumpster, why would someone go through the trouble of recycling? I can’t exactly say when it occurred to me to do more than lug boxes of paper to the recycling bin, but I can say that I felt instant guilt every time I tossed a piece of paper without using it to its full potential.

That’s why I recycle my own paper by remaking it into new paper. On April 22nd this year, I saw a little 20-second video on how to make “seed paper,” something you can plant when you’re done using it! This inspired me to try it myself (seeds optional)!

When I fill my coffee can with paper, I grab a blender (I bought one for two dollars at a thrift store specifically for paper, but you can use your everyday blender for this), pour a couple of inches of water in the bottom, sprinkle some paper in there, and blend! There is no perfect paper-water ratio, so I just eyeball it. If it seems too watery, I add more paper. If the motor sounds like the blender is working too hard, I add more water. My philosophy is, I’d rather have wet, soggy pulp than too-dry, crumbly.

I have a cookie sheet lined with either wax paper or parchment paper, ready to go. After dumping the blender’s contents into a strainer (over a receptacle to catch the water, which can be reused!), I plop the strained pulp onto the cookie sheet. My first couple of times, I made the mistake of trying to ring out the pulp because I thought it was too wet, but then the paper turned out too brittle and crumbly to use.

Whenever I’m ready, I press the pulp flat on the cookie sheet and repeat my entire blending-straining-pressing process until the cookie sheet is covered in my almost-paper. A microfiber cloth is necessary for the next part: I press the flat cloth onto my flattened pulp to absorb as much moisture as possible. The nice thing about microfiber is, even when it feels too wet to use, the water can be rung out and used again for the next batch of paper—nothing has to go to waste!

While the pulp is still moist, I use a spatula to score the batch so that later, when I cut it into the shapes I want, it’s a little easier. (It also dries faster this way). The cloth doesn’t get all the moisture out, but if it’s a nice sunny day, I set the cookie sheet outside for hours! An alternative is to set it in front of a fan or two. In a few hours, I’m ready to separate the dry (or mostly dry) paper from the parchment and flip it over to make sure it’s dry on both sides. It is a little tough to cut, but I have to remember to be gentle so I don’t destroy my paper. If I start to get frustrated, I need to walk away. If I accidentally ruin a piece or it’s too crumbly to use, I can just tear it up and blend it all over again!

The end result is actual paper that I can use to write on, paint, turn into a book. Right now, for example, I’m making a poetry book for my sister. Some of my paper did turn out a little crumbly, so I coated one side with ModPodge. When that dried, I began painting, coloring, and writing.

I love making my own paper because it costs me nothing, and it’s something my nieces can help with (under supervision, of course). It’s exciting to get to teach kids about taking care of our planet and show them ways that we personally can reuse and recycle.

Making paper is just one way that I calm my nerves when I’m feeling anxious or overwhelmed. Another thing that puts a pit into my stomach is throwing away single-use plastic that can never be recycled, such as bread bags, plastic packaging, and plastic straws. If these things even make it to the recycling center, they’re thrown away anyway; they’re too thin and flimsy to be reused!

That is until 29-year-old Nzambi Matee from Kenya invented a machine to turn plastic waste into bricks five times stronger than concrete! Since I don’t have a fancy machine, I use a technique called “bottle bricking.” Here’s what that looks like:

Just like my extra paper, any time I come across single-use, flimsy plastic (as long as it’s clean), I cut it into two-inch pieces and pack them into a two-liter plastic bottle. The idea is to pack the bottle as full as possible. It’s good to have a stick or wand of some sort to push and pack things down. Bottle bricking is easier than making paper because there are fewer steps to follow and less mess, but bottle bricking is a little more particular on the rules.

Both making my own paper and creating bottle bricks are ways to save the planet without costing me any money. The small act of cutting up paper or plastic is enough to help me focus my breaths and stop my shaking. Not only that, but it’s something I can do while listening to music, watching TV, or talking on the phone.

Taking care of the beautiful planet on which I live is very close to my heart. Making my own paper and bricks that can be used to help someone in need is rewarding and something that my young relatives can help with. For anyone struggling to find a healthy way to cope with anxiety, I highly recommend shredding, tearing, or cutting paper and single-use plastic in a way that can change our world.