Sereana Howard
Joe E. Heimlich
This fact sheet, one in a series, reports data from a study that examined newsprint as an alternative bedding material for farm animals. The study was funded in part by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Litter Prevention and Recycling.
The study addressed newsprint with black ink and examined the supply of newsprint in Ohio, effects of the paper as a bedding, as well as the absorption and decomposition. The bedding was evaluated on management and disposal, animal behavior, and aesthetics.
The newsprint bedding was shredded into small bales. Evaluators commented on the ease of use, stall maintenance, storage and disposal of the newsprint. They also observed animal behavior such as grazing on the newsprint, grooming of the animals and insulation qualities. The general appearance of barns and fields were qualitatively assessed as to dust levels and stall and barn appearance.
Before any recommendations can be made regarding the recycling of newsprint for any use, the volume and the availability of newspaper supply must be known. In Ohio, the average daily number of newspapers printed is 2,882,000, with a larger number printed on Sundays. The most concentrated areas of newsprint are the metropolitan areas of Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, and Dayton. These cities produce eight major papers with a combined daily circulation of 1.55 million or 53 percent of the total daily circulation in the state of Ohio.
Major daily papers tend to be larger in page size and number of pages, thus using more newsprint than other papers. Smaller daily papers, as well as weekly, biweekly, and monthly papers, do not have the same paper demand as the large metropolitan papers, but these papers are a potential supply for recycling. The potential for large-scale recovery programs would best be implemented in urban areas, but recovery programs need not be limited to metropolitan regions.
According to the 1980 census, Ohio's population was 10,784,200. The daily circulation indicates an average of one out of three people in Ohio receives a daily paper, nearly 71 percent of the households. National daily newspaper circulation is 62,502,000; the U.S. population of 243.399.000 makes the national average one in four people receiving a daily publication. These circulation and supply figures do not include weekly, monthly or "on demand" newsprint publications.
There is a substantial source of newsprint available on a daily basis from the papers produced in cities and towns across the state. There are also less obvious sources. One such source of newsprint is daily college and university publications. A sample of colleges and universities in the state indicates that large quantities of newspapers are printed each day: The Ohio State University Lantern, Columbus, prints 30,000 daily; the Ohio University Post, Athens, prints 13,000 daily; and the Kent Stater prints 15,000 per day. Some university papers are printed on a daily basis while others are printed once or twice a week. College papers tend to have fewer pages than do other daily papers, but the supply is comparable or larger than many city newspapers. A sample of seven college newspapers across Ohio indicated that on Fridays during the academic year, over 99,500 newspapers are printed. The nature of the college community suggests that a paper recovery program would be "closed loop" and relatively easy to implement.
Why is knowing these sources of newsprint important? The implementation of newspaper collection programs depends on the nature and scope of the program. Recycling programs can be implemented where there is a source of material, and quantity of material will aid the implementation of the program. Recycling programs can reduce the amount of waste entering a landfill. The reduced flow then adds to the longevity of the landfill.
Newsprint recycling can be accomplished in several ways. Donation centers are places that individuals bring and donate newspaper. Buyback centers are similar, but the individual or group collecting the paper is paid by the pound. Curbside collection, or source separation, is another way to recycle newsprint. In curb-side collection programs, residents bundle papers and a designated collection service collects them. For more information on recycling, see the Ohio Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet, "Recycling,", CDFS-108.
Recycled commodities are in a unique position. In one analysis, the recycled commodity is on the supply side of the market; in other analyses, the recycled newspapers are on the demand side. The market implications of newspaper recovery are diverse as the market for recycled newspapers is volatile. The price for recovered newspapers can change rapidly. As a contributing element on the supply side of the market, recycled newspapers are in steady supply. These newspapers could balance the market demand side when other bedding is higher priced. There is always a steady flow of newspapers that could, if recaptured and used, provide an inexpensive supply of animal bedding.
There is potentially a strong availability of newsprint for recycling. It has been demonstrated that newsprint can be collected and recycled effectively. The real questions reside with each individual: will paper be collected, reprocessed, and used.
All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.
Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Adm. and Director, OSU Extension.
TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868