The project is based on the research of Kansas State University and Jim Edwards, a professor at Auburn University who has worked on the process in six states since 1991. In a Texas project, wind erosion of soil was reduced by 41 percent. In areas of the country with low rainfall, adding paper also can increase crop yields 50 percent because paper can hold six or seven times its weight in water, Edwards said. Not to mention the benefits of getting rid of all that paper. Despite the success of recycling programs, paper still makes its way into local landfills.
Phone books are an additional problem.
The books not thrown in the trash are too expensive to recycle because it is hard to remove the glue binding that holds the pages together. The paper is also very low-grade, and its only value is as an ingredient in asphalt or shingles, said Bridget Lemen, operations manager at Weyerhaeuser Co., a Wichita recycler that will help carry out the project. Copyright 1998 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.