Paper consumption

Introduction:
Paper is a by-product of trees and is a useful element in everyday life. It is used in various ways and can also be recycled. These activities will help children learn about the uses of paper, how they can reduce usage and recycle it, and in the process conserve trees.

Objective:
1. Students understand about paper and its uses
2. Students will be more conscious about how they use paper
3. Students will learn that it is better to use recycled paper

Activity Steps:
Paper consumption per person is often considered a reliable index of the standard of living. The higher the standard of living and the greater the nation wealth, the greater the amount of paper used. But that doesn’t mean we encourage unnecessary use of paper. Therefore, our children have to learn to value paper and use it with utmost care. Here are a few activities that could help.

• The amount of paper that is used and thrown away is enormous. Very little thought is given to reusing it in any way. The class could conduct a survey/study of the paper consumption in your school: How much paper is bought? How much of it is used and in what way? Can consumption be cut down?
• Have a brain-storming session in the classroom. Come up with ideas for decreasing paper wastage, for reusing paper that we usually discard without a second thought. Encourage innovative and ingenious thinking. Ask students to submit sketches or models of their designs. You could have a prize or certificate for the most innovative and practical design.
• Ask your students to find out all they can about recycled paper. How is it made? Are there any nearby plants that recycle paper? What are the things that could be successfully made with such paper? What are brown paper, wrapping paper, and greeting cards made from? Are products made from recycled paper available in the market? If not, why not? Is it due to increased costs, lack of equipment, and the know-how or ignorance that such a thing is possible? Is there anything that we, as students, can do about it?
• Help your students organize a campaign to encourage the recycling of paper. Together you can plan an advertising campaign with advertisements for magazines, newspapers, radio, and television. You could also have posters, brochures, door-to-door campaigning, debates and processions. It may not be possible to actually carry out all the above activities, however, these would still be good exercises in the management of finances, principles of advertising, and media planning.

THINK THAT OVER!

One ton of wood-pulp makes over 3 acres of paper. 180 tons would make 1 sq. mile of paper. So 20 million tons of wood-pulp would cover more than 110,000 sq.miles – enough to make a path more than 4 miles wide right round the Earth.