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Recycling Paper for Fun & Profit
Building Useful
Things with Old Paper
Building useful things from old or previously used
things is not really new. From ancient times new houses and even
cities have been built, in part, from the rubbles of the old. (Maybe
we learned this technique from watching the birds in spring return
to build nests?)
Beams from old barns can make a wonderful and
functional addition to a home in need of structural support. It adds
to the decoration as well as the strength of the house. Old wood
from many kinds of sources, especially when weathered, is often used
for construction. Some of the most beautiful furniture is made of
old wood. In addition, the refurbishing of old chairs and other
furniture is popular for a number of reasons.
And everyone knows that old glass is often used in
the making of new glass and glass products, old metal cans and other
used metal is melted down to make new metal goods. Many plastics can
be reused again. And of course paper is often recycled.
But did you know that paper can be recycled into
new goods right in your own home? Useful items such as wastebaskets,
decorative bowls and even tables can be made from old newspaper, for
example.
Paper can be reused in several ways. Rolls of
paper are sometimes used to make sturdy legs on small stools. And
layered paper has been pressed into service (literally) for
centuries as table tops and many other furniture products.
In your home recycling projects, paper may be used as pulp or as
layers (as in paper mache) to make items that are both functional
and pleasing to the eye. Both of these construction methods require
water and the addition of a binding agent (usually a simple starch,
such as ordinary white flour). The pulp would be pressed into a mold
or shaped by hand to create the desired form. The layered paper
would be built up, a layer at a time, creating a hollow shell on
mold (such as a plastic bowl or box).
I have experimented with several types of
construction using old paper. Sometimes I use other construction
elements in addition to paper, such as sticks of bamboo or wood, to
help reinforce the overall structure. I built a small table this
way, and also a freestanding sculpture. But items, such as a
wastepaper basket made from old newspapers, did not require
additional support. You can see all three of these items online, at
the link provided below.
Paper is also being used as an experimental
construction agent in homebuilding. When used properly, and when
protected from rain, snow and ground moisture, “papercrete,” as it
is often called, has proven to be an effective building material.
Most of the strength, of course, comes from the addition of cement
and other agents, such as sand. But paper often makes up more than
50% of the papercrete blocks or bricks, as well as the mortar. In
fact, an acceptable ratio of paper to Portland cement and sand (or
pumice, if readily available) runs about 60% to 20% each of the
cement and sand.
Paper used in this fashion can be used as
supporting walls, in much the same way as regular cement or adobe
blocks would be used. With a fire-safe ratio (such as the 60-20-20
mentioned) papercrete (or fibrous concrete) is considered to be much
more environmentally friendly, as well as an excellent insulating
material for the home.
Jim Sutton
To find out more about the home projects I
mentioned above,
click here.
To get more information on the use of paper as
home construction material,
go here.
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