Nowadays scores of coupons can be found online but the prime source for collecting them is still newspapers. That means every week or so many of us buy the paper simply for the coupons and whether we read the other sections or not at the end of the day we have a stack to get rid of.
Most neighborhoods have paper recycling services which is the best way to dispose of them but if you like to be resourceful and repurpose what you have then hold on to a few.
After you finish cutting and catching up on the world and the newsprint is just sitting around stuffed into a corner know that it has a host of uses that are worth looking into and taking advantage of:
Compost: Years ago chemicals were used in newsprint making them unfriendly to the environment. However in recent years most inks are soy based and the paper itself comes from organic material. Since newspaper sheets are extremely light weight they make great additions to compost bins as they won’t weigh down the pile. Also, newspaper provides an abundance of carbon, which is one of the perfect ingredients for healthy compost. Although the gardening season is just about over composting is a year round activity that if started now will benefit your tomatoes and cucumbers in the spring.
Donate: Newspapers may only cost a few dollars but they have incredible artistic value. Couple that with the fact art supplies themselves are expensive and newsprint can be a wonderful medium to work with. Of course, you yourself may not be an artist but consider donating them to art departments at schools and community centers where other artists and students will put them to use.
Book covers: The school year is just about to begin which means a whole new set of text books for the kids that either belong to the school or are bought and resold by students. Nevertheless you’ll want the kids to keep them in good condition, which is where newspaper comes in. It makes a great book jacket that can be layered with a few sheets and decorated. In the same manner it can also be used for wrapping gifts.
For pets: Newspaper makes great pet cage liner and even if you don’t have a pet someone else you know does. Also pet stores, pet shelters, and pounds use newspaper and instead of them buying their own you could check to see if they could use your bundle.
Household cleaning: Using newspaper is one of the best ways to get a good shine on windows and mirrors. Instead of buying specialty house cleaning cloths and sprays just apply a few drops of water, sponge the glass, crumple up some newsprint, run it over the window or mirror with some pressure like the sponge, and be amazed by the polished look. It also makes a decent floor covering when painting or doing a dirty job at home.
Extra household uses: To keep the shape of shoes, hats, lining for packing, and to ripen green tomatoes.