Recycling: Turning Paper into Petals

By: Cheryl Goodrich, OSU Extension Educator, Monroe County

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is a phrase that reminds us to think about our impact on the world around us. Recycling is important to the environment because it conserves natural resources, saves energy, and reduces the amount of trash going to landfills. The average household throws away around 13,000 separate pieces of paper each year! Every ton of paper that is recycled can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4000 kilowatts of energy, and 7000 gallons of water. Check out more fascinating recycling facts. In this activity, the household paper will be recycled into seed-infused paper gift tags.

Materials:

• newspaper, office paper, or junk mail (avoid thick or glossy papers)
• large bowl
• water
• wildflower seed mix
• wax paper
• cookie cutters (simple shapes like hearts or stars)
• washcloth or sponge

Directions:

This is a messy activity, so you may want to work outdoors. Tear the paper into small pieces and place them in a large bowl. Pour water over the paper scraps until there is about twice as much water as paper. Leave the paper to soak for several hours until the paper disintegrates into pulp. A hand mixer or blender can be used to aid in breaking up the paper if desired, although blenders may be difficult to clean if used for this purpose.

Use your hands to squeeze the excess water out of the paper pulp and then return it to the dry bowl. Sprinkle the wildflower seeds over the pulp and blend with your hands. Cover a flat surface with wax paper. Place cookie cutters on the wax paper and fill them approximately ½ full of the paper pulp mixture. Using a washcloth or sponge, press the pulp into the cookie cutters to squeeze out any excess water.

Remove the cookie cutters and leave the paper shapes to dry in a warm sunny place. A hairdryer on a cool setting can be used to speed up the drying process. Avoid leaving the paper in the sun for too long or the seeds may begin to sprout. Turn occasionally to allow even drying. Once the shapes are completely dry, poke a small hole in each shape, and attach strings for gift giving. When recipients plant the paper tags in shallow soil and add water, flower sprouting should begin!

Peer-reviewed by: Michelle Stumbo, OSU Extension Educator and Area Leader, Meigs County

References:

Marietta Area Recycling Center. (n.d.). Recycling Facts. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from http://mariettarecycling.org/why.php

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. (2020, January 15). Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://www.epa.gov/recycle