Several weeks ago, we circulated a memo saying we would have to discontinue a special paper pick-up we'd been doing for several dozen local offices and schools. Many misconstrued this to mean we would no longer be recycling paper in Haywood County. Nothing could be further from the truth. Paper recycling will always be a vital part of the recycling program in Haywood County. The American Forest and Paper Association says Americans recycle over 42 million tons of paper annually.
Used paper is a valuable raw material used to make recycled paper and other products.
Every pound we recover for recycling is one less pound of paper buried in the landfill, saving costly space. Every ton of paper recycled saves 17 trees. The fact that we were forced to discontinue our special paper pick-up is in no way a reflection of HVO's commitment to paper recycling. Shortly after we began managing Haywood County's recycling program in 1996, we received a paper recycling grant from the N.C. Department of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance. We used those funds to operate a paper pick-up route, which was intended to complement, not replace, other methods of paper recycling.