In 2007, more than 73 percent of newspapers across the country were recovered and recycled. For every 2,000 pounds of newsprint that is recycled, 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space is saved.
Last year, the greater Tulsa community recycled more than 15 million pounds of newsprint, saving more than 24,000 cubic yards of landfill space.
The Tulsa World uses ink made from soybean oil, a naturally renewable resource. Printing with soy ink generates less paper waste during press runs and is a helpful component in paper recycling. The soy ink can be removed more easily than regular ink from paper during the de-inking process. This allows the recycled paper to have less damage to its paper fibers and have a brighter appearance. Soy takes very little water or energy to grow and since soy ink has very low levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds, chemical compounds that evaporate and react to sunlight), it is far less polluting than traditional petroleum-based ink.
For every 2,000 pounds of newsprint that is recycled, 4,102 kilowatts of electricity is saved. In 2007, the greater Tulsa community recycled more than 15 million pounds of newsprint and saved more than 30 million kilowatts of electricity, which is enough electricity to power almost 15,000 homes for one month.
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