The Baltimore Sun has long been recycling overruns of newspapers, spoiled newspapers and even the newsprint roller wrappers, according to K.C. Burton, public affairs manager for The Baltimore Sun. The company also recycles inks, solvents and oils from motor vehicles, he said.
About a month ago, the company started recycling the high grade office paper generated in its offices. The money from that effort will be donated to a charity chosen by an employee committee, Burton said.
The company is also collecting aluminum cans, with the proceeds going to the Frances Scott Key Burn Center, Burton said.
The newspaper company also has plans to increase the percent of recycled paper used in its newsprint. Recycled paper now makes up 5 percent of the company's newsprint in the form of the Sunday paper's television booklet.
Another company that is contributing its recycling proceeds to charity is Legg Mason Inc., the large Baltimore stock brokerage firm. That company started its program last January and has since collected 56,300 pounds of office paper for recycling by Vangel Papers, a Baltimore recycling company.
So far Legg Mason has contributed $1,000 to Loyola College for its business school student scholarship fund.
Bethlehem Steel Corp. does extensive recycling at its Baltimore County steel mill. "We recycle about everything we use," said Bethlehem spokesman G. Ted Baldwin.
Besides paper recycling on a departmental basis, the company has long recycled many of its byproducts back into the steel-making operation.
The oxidized coating on the steel is removed and recycled back into the coke ovens. Gases from the steel making are used throughout the plant, even to fire furnaces themselves. The company also uses waste water from the Back River wastewater treatment plant and Washington's Blue Plains treatment plant to clean steel.
Besides recycling its own waste, Bethlehem recycles for other companies and government agencies.
The Sparrows Point operation uses about 1 million tons of steel scrap a year. This includes about 100,000 tons of tin cans, beverage and food containers as well as guns and knives confiscated by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, Baldwin said.
Bethlehem even recycles money. Sometimes the U.S. Treasury Department delivers a trailer load of shredded cash to Sparrows Point, where it is used in the mix to make steel.
"We do try to reuse everything," Baldwin said.
Recycling waste paper
Baltimore companies that want to recycle their paper waste are finding there are basically two ways to handle the paper. They are the following: *Hiigh-grade paper, such as office stationery and computer printouts, is separated out by employees, who put it in special plastic holders on their desks. This paper is collected and recycled into paper that can be used again in printing operations. Companies participating in these programs are often paid for the paper. Lower grades of paper, such as food wrappers and coated paper, are not included in this type of operation.
*All types of paper products are separated from the rest of a company's trash. This paper is then recycled into poster board. While more paper products can be recycled, companies are normally not paid for the paper. However, businesses save money because they are not charged for disposal of the waste paper.
