Repurpose your copy of The Aggie while reducing your carbon footprint
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Marking the 50th anniversary of the curbside recycling program, the city of Davis recently received the Outstanding Zero Waste or Recycling Program award from the California Resource Recovery Association. The program works alongside Recology Davis to collect discarded material — trash, recyclables and organic waste like food scraps and yard trimmings — from Davis residences to reduce the community’s overall contribution to landfills. Organic waste, including paper, cardboard and yard materials, are especially harmful to the environment when left to decompose in landfills due to their production of methane gas.
While it’s become a common misconception that recycling’s benefit to the environment has been overstated, it’s important to remain conscious of the impact our actions have on the world around us. As students at UC Davis, a university renowned for its sustainability, we have a responsibility to utilize the resources our city provides. Whether it’s staying up-to-date on the city’s contributions, correctly sorting your waste or actively participating in environment-focused clubs on campus, there is always something you can do to help the environment, no matter how small it seems.
For more information on all things recycling in Davis, check out the city of Davis’ website. Without further ado, in honor of the recycling program beginning as a newspaper drop-off program, here are The Editorial Board’s picks for ways to repurpose The California Aggie’s weekly issue and reduce your carbon footprint.
Chris Ponce, Editor-in-Chief: Newspaper flower bouquet
While this may not be the most elaborate craft on this list, it is a timeless one. Regardless if it’s for family, friends or that special someone — the next time you are buying a bouquet of flowers, grab a copy of The Aggie as well. Let’s be real, leaving a bouquet wrapped in the plastic they came in is cute, but why not go the extra mile? Besides, who wants to see a barcode and a bunch of plastic when they receive flowers?
The gesture of wrapping your flowers in a newspaper shows you put in the extra time, thought and effort that your loved ones so rightfully deserve. There are several ways to do this, but my favorite is the basic: after putting your flowers of choice together, lay out our newspaper with the corner side pointed up, wrap them and then tie it with a rubber band or ribbon — and viola! Whenever I get to give someone flowers like this, the smile I get in exchange is unmatched — it truly is worth all the effort.
Alyssa Crevoiserat, Managing Editor: Newspaper pencil cups
This one goes out to everyone who keeps a mug on their desk for pencils instead of tea — why not finally make the switch from ceramic to paper? If you don’t question the durability of a newspaper pencil cup, the choice is easy. Repurposing newspapers is an environmentally friendly way to practice your crafting skills on something that you won’t just toss in a week. If you’re looking for a craft that isn’t seasonal, look no further than a newspaper pencil cup.
All you need for the craft is the latest (or oldest) copy of The California Aggie, some colored scrap paper, glue, scissors and the extra cardboard you still have laying around your apartment from move-in season — don’t lie, I know you do. Newspaper pencil cups are entirely customizable; there are many tutorials out there for pencil cups with compartments, a woven pencil cup or a square-shaped pencil cup that sort of looks like a crown. If these don’t speak to you, all it takes is a quick YouTube search to find what pencil cup best suits your needs.
For all of The Aggie fans out there, turn your passion for journalism into something tangible and creative instead of just tossing your copy into the recycling bin. While you could also just buy this on Amazon, where’s the fun in that?
Maya Kornyeyeva, Opinion Editor: Newspaper envelopes
If you ever run out of those boring, standard white envelopes, fear not. All you need is some strong tape, scissors and an old print of the CA Aggie and you can make yourself a unique holder for your letters. Beyond saving yourself a buck or two, a newspaper envelope is sure to shock the socks off your pen pal, who perhaps never realized how crafty you truly are.
The folding process is simple; turn your newspaper into a square, fold it in half to crease, fold in the corners then make a triangle for the flap. If you’re feeling adventurous, use some markers to decorate your envelope, and if you’re someone who collects washi tape or stickers, add some of your favorite designs for an extra special touch. Just 10 minutes and your beautiful envelope is complete!
Zoey Mortazavi, Features Editor: Mini newspaper furniture
If you’re ever in need of a crafting moment, having extra newspapers lying around is a perfect option to mix recycling and making something thoughtful for yourself or a loved one. Look no further than one of the cutest ways to reuse newspapers: making miniature furniture out of them. Some options for this include making mini chairs, couches, tables or the most Davis-related idea: making a mini bike. These are pretty simple to make, though some of them might take a little bit of time to complete. Most suggested tutorials for this type of craft include rolling up newspaper into cylinders and gluing them together in order to create the mini furniture. To make mini armchairs, there is an even simpler way to do it — simply fold pieces of paper into boxes and glue or tape them together, as the linked video tutorial shows. These are a super cute decorative idea if you’re ever looking to spruce up your desk, decorate your room or even gift them to someone!
Ana Bach, Arts and Culture Editor: Newspaper or wrapping paper? Newspaper.
Next time you find yourself scrambling to wrap a gift for a loved one, look toward one of the newspaper stands for some free wrapping paper! Not only are you saving yourself a good lump sum of money, but you are also giving someone knowledge-filled decoration, making your original gift all the more unique. You are also welcome to write cute little sentiments on the wrapping paper, circling words or phrases that stand out within the writing and help you weave together your heartfelt message. Lastly, adding some twine to create an extra embellishment is a final touch that will surely “tie” it all together.
Hannah Schrader, City News Editor: Newspaper roses
If you find yourself on a tight budget, like many of us college students so often do, a newspaper rose could be the perfect eco-friendly and economical kind gesture. You only need an old print of The Aggie, scissors, tape and a stick for this craft. As for making the rose, you first need to fold and tape down a piece of newspaper around the stick to make the flower bud. Next, cut out heart-shaped petals, and the amount is dependent on how large you want your rose to be but generally about 15-20 petals should be sufficient. Then start taping the petals to your flower bud, and after each layer of petals start the next layer slightly above the previous. After you have finished attaching all your petals, bend the tops of the outer petals very slightly for a more realistic look. Then your newspaper rose is done! The last step is to gift the rose to someone you appreciate or keep for yourself as an act of self-love.
Katie Hellman, Science Editor: Newspaper garland
Newspaper garlands are a great eco-friendly craft idea, and they are very versatile in terms of the designs that you can make. They also might be one of the easiest crafts on this list, as they require minimal creative abilities aside from being able to handle a pair of scissors. All you have to do is cut out some shapes, attach them to some string or twine and hang up your new decor. To give your old paper a new purpose, we would recommend cutting out hearts, stars or flowers — or, if you’re feeling the fall spirit, you can also put up some ghosts or pumpkins. For those who are particularly artistic, you could also experiment with making your shapes three-dimensional or adding hand-drawn details.
Written by: The Editorial Board
