Let's Recycle Waste Paper Into Eco Friendly Postcard!

We have to admit that we always need paper in our daily life. Whether we use it for writing or wrapping something, paper can not be parted from human activity. The production of paper increases year by year due to this need. Based on Indonesian Pulp and Paper Association, in 2011 the number of paper consumption in Indonesia was 7,8 tons. However, world paper need currently was about 394 million tons. The growth of paper need in developed countries will increase about 0,5% per year. So, it is assumed that in developed countries, consumption of paper will be 394 million tons in 2020 (Liana, 2012). We have known how much the consumption of paper in the world is, but do we know how much is waste paper that produces every day due to our need? According to Badan Pengkajian dan Penerapan Teknologi, waste paper percentage in Indonesia is 10,18% (BPPT, 1994). 

Source : http://www.ilmusipil.com/komposisi-dan-karakteristik-sampah

It is the highest percentage than others inorganic garbage. To overcoming the mass of waste paper, Indonesian citizens have their own way that is combusting waste paper. Unfortunately, that could bring really bad danger to environment and living creatures. Prof. Dr. Ir. Soemarno MS. in his paper entitled Sampah Jangan Dibakar Banyak Mudharatnya, said that the product that is produced from combustion process of garbage is carbon monoxide. One ton garbage can produce 30 kg carbon monoxide. Someone could be killed when he/she inhales it because the process of transporting oxygen to all part of human body by haemoglobin is disturbed (Soemarno, 2011). 

Papermill and Paper Recycling Factory in Spain Source : http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/57169/57169,1163612076,1/stock-photo-papermill-and-paper-recycling-factory-in-sanguesa-spain-2174841.jpg

Indonesian government has been doing some innovations to overcome waste paper problem. Factories for recycling waste papers and producing some products from it have been built in some cities in Indonesia. But it is also not really an eco friendly innovation. Recycling waste paper into new product of paper needs chemical substances that could bring danger to living creature and environment. It also needs amount of water and electricity in the process of recycling. The waste from recycling process is also dangerous since some companies still throw out the waste in river and irrigation ditch. New innovation that less bring any danger is what we need right now. We need a simple and safe innovation but has great effect to our environment. Actually, there is one simple and beneficial action which everyone can do it. Recycling waste paper into an eco friendly postcard is the new innovation for overcoming waste paper and campaigning green living actions.

Anyone know what is it? 

It is an image of a postcard from Indonesia. Postcard is a card often with a photograph or picture in one side which can be sent without an envelope (Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 2008). However, eco friendly postcard is a handmade postcard which is made from waste paper. Eco friendly postcard’s function is as a media for campaigning environment preservation and green living actions. In the process of making this recycled product, we just need simple waste papers such as cardboard from shoes box or milk box, newspaper, magazines, and anykind of waste papers that still could be used. We also need some simple tools like scissor, glue, crayon, and pencil colour. 

First step to make an eco friendly postcard is we make a rectangle with measurement 120 X 235 mm maximum and 90 X 140 mm minimum. Do not forget to make a space for address at the bottom of right corner and space for stamp at the upper of right corner at the other side of postcard (filateli.wasantara.net.id, 2001). 

Then, we can create any kind of picture or other creation on our postcard. But since this postcard function is for campaigning environment preservation and green living actions, we should put our message on our postcard for example “Let’s do green living actions for better future” or “Let’s recycle our waste paper into an eco friendly postcard”. The message is up to the maker as long as it is for campaigning. The maker not only can write a message, but also experience or facts related to the problems of environments. After it is finished, we can stick a stamp then send the postcard to our friends, relatives, teachers, or people that we want. Hopefully, by receiving our eco friendly postcard they are interested to do green living actions like making and sending eco friendly postcard.  

Eco friendly postcard was made from “garbage” but do you know how worthy this product is? There are so many benefits of eco friendly postcard especially benefits for our environment. First benefit is, it can help reducing numbers of waste paper. Since eco friendly postcard is made from waste paper, more or less it can reduce amount of waste paper that can be found in our own home or office. It is better if we recycle the waste paper into this product than combusting it into ashes and dangerous carbon monoxide. 

The making process that is eco friendly and safety becomes the second benefit. Making an eco friendly postcard does not need any chemical substances that can bring any danger to environment and living creatures. So, there is no worry to make it. The tools and waste papers are safety so they will less bring any damage to anyone. 

Third, eco friendly postcard can be a significant media for campaigning green living actions. As I explained before, eco friendly postcard has a special message on it. That message is special for persuading the receiver to do green living actions. Our expectation is the receiver is inspired to do something that can save our earth. 

Rekindling swapping postcard habit is also one of the benefits from eco friendly postcard. As we know, since e-mail and social media invaded, communication via postcard lost its popularity. Post office got the damage from this phenomenon. Since 1999 post office in Indonesia lost its profit due to the popularity of e-mail. By sending eco friendly postcard to others we can invite them to send postcard and make it popular again. Somehow, by doing this action we can support the existence of postcard and post office.

Source :http://kkcdn-static.kaskus.co.id/images/2013/01/12/4702854_20130112071832.jpg

Who wants to send a postcard when it is easier and faster using an e-mail? Truthfully, numbers of postcard user is lesser than e-mail users lately. This condition became worst since the existence of social media and messenger. Popularity of postcards was drowned as the technology of communication invaded. But still, there are people who send and swap postcard until now. Good news is those people are young generations. Special websites for swapping postcard like postcrossing.com and cardtopost.com exist in cyber world. These websites help the people who want to send a postcard by availing addresses of people from various countries. If we do not have people to receive our eco friendly postcard, we can get address from those websites then send it to them. By doing this, hopefully the receiver would do some green living actions after they read our message.

We really need earth. But somehow we forget how to thank to our earth for its treasures. Environmental problems such as pollution, global warming, deforestation, abrasion, erosion, and other problems damaged our home so badly. It does not happen due to natural phenomenon. We as human being who live in this earth are the source of those problems. We do everything to fulfil our need without paying just little caring to our earth. Without our notice, our home hurt so badly. Do we just stand and watch what happen to our earth since we know all of the problems? No! We need actions to save our home! No matter how small and simple that action is, if it can save our home why don’t we just try? Eco friendly postcard is a very simple thing but has very great benefits if we do it together. We can save our earth through this simple product of waste paper. Everyone can do it regardless of age, jobs, social status, and academic grade. By sending this handmade postcard, we can save our earth and let others realize this simple thing can give a great change to our home.

Which one do you want to choose? Recycling waste paper into eco friendly postcard, sending it to others and let them do similar action? Or combusting your waste paper then let others die because of its carbon monoxide? Think the best for our home and our fellows!

References

Anonymous, (2001). Standarisasi Kartu Pos. Retrieved February 20, 2013, from http://filateli.wasantara.net.id/NewTemp/KartuPosStand.htm

Rekohadi, Dyan. (2012). Konsumsi Kertas Nasional Naik. Retrieved February 12, 2013,   from http://surabaya.tribunnews.com/2012/06/21/konsumsi-kertas-nasional- naik#sthash.7chMBR6O.dpbs

Saputra, Surya Mahendra. (2012). Industri Pulp dan Kertas Naikkan Volume Produksi. Retrieved February 12, 2013, from  http://apki.net/?p=864

Soemarno. (2011). Sampah Jangan Dibakar Banyak Mudharatnya. Retrieved January 31, 2013 from http://soemarno.lecture.ub.ac.id

Nizar, Chairil. (2013). Komposisi dan Karakteristik Sampah. Retrieved February 20,2013, from http://www.ilmusipil.com/komposisi-dan-karakteristik-sampah