Around Recycling Paper

In many kindergartens, schools, etc waste separation is not only part of the daily routine, but also a subject in classes: They discuss why waste separation is useful, how to prevent waste and how waste can be used to make wonderful artwork.

When we talk about paper, the Germans face a phenomenon: No European country collects as much waste paper as Germany. But when it comes to using it, we become sceptical: Do waste paper products have similar qualities as fresh fibre products? Are they harmful for printers? Are they hygienic? And so on...

Numerous researches proved that waste paper products are in no way inferior to fresh fibre products but the idea of hard, grey waste paper products have took hold in many people's mind. AT the same time, many adults find natural white paper made from 100% waste paper more comfortable when reading filling pages texts.

To not pass on this mistaken belief concerning waste paper products to the children, it is useful to have a closer look on these products and discuss the differences. The ecological effects can easily be shown with the sustainability calculator: https://www.papiernetz.de/informationen/nachhaltigkeitsrechner/. It shows the saved resources and CO2 emissions when using recycling instead of fresh fibre products.

Make your own papier-mâché

Tear or cut collected paper into pieces and soak it in water. Mix wallpaper paste and water til you have a thick paste. Add this paste to your paper snippets. Now you can form this paste in different figures. When it has dried completely, it gets hard and you can work on it with a knife.

If you want different colours, colour the paste with finger paint, food colouring or add some of your selfmade colours.