Paper recycling workshop fails to attrack attention

By Stevie Emilia

JAKARTA (JP): Children's favorite uses for a sheet of paper include drawing, to write on or for folding into a paper aircraft. Bored with these activities, they often just scrunch it up and throw it away, unaware they could use the paper once again after it is recycled.

Helping children learn about the advantages of used paper is the main intention of a workshop on paper recycling for children at the Gedung Kesenian Jakarta (The Jakarta Playhouse). The program, which took place on Aug. 16 and will be held again tomorrow, is part of the Children's Arts Festival.

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned in the first session. Only a few children attended the workshop as many preferred to watch the children's drama, Menonjok Hantu (Punching The Ghost) by Bella Studio, which was staged half an hour earlier than the workshop at the same venue.

Most of those who did attend only watched the paper recycling process during the 10-minute break in the drama.

The workshop also failed to explain to the children why paper needed to be recycled, or provide detailed information on paper recycling itself.

"What's paper recycling?" whispered a girl to her friend while watching the recycling process.

The girl ran her fingers along a beautiful frame, displayed along with colorful envelopes, diaries and notebooks, without knowing that they were all made from recycled paper.

Paper recycling has an important role in protecting the country's forests, the supplier of the majority of raw materials to manufacture paper.

As there is an increase in the amount of paper we use, there is a fear that one day forests will disappear and this will bring disaster to humankind. Forests, which have a crucial role in protecting environment from further degradation, also face pressure from commercial interests.

If these explanations were too serious for children, at least the organizers could have informed the children about the need to reduce paper consumption and, simultaneously, ease pressure on the forests.

For instance, children can be taught to save paper by using both sides of the sheet.

An organizer, Jaby Philippi, blamed rumors of renewed riots as one of the reasons which kept parents from bringing their children to the festival.

"There's a rumor that this place and its surroundings are not safe...," she said, referring to widespread stories that riots would break out sometime before and during the celebration of the country's 53rd independence anniversary on Aug. 17.

The eight-day Children's Arts Festival ends tomorrow, with another workshop at 10 a.m. on the closing day.

Apart from the workshop, the festival also featured a display of drawings, bazaar and games for children and 12 art performances, including Balinese, Malay and Sundanese dances and a couple of musical and ballet performances.

Jaby said the workshop on paper recycling was intended to raise children's awareness of the need to protect the environment.

"By learning about paper recycling, children are expected to take care of what they have and understand the advantage of used paper."

Problem is that children need to show up to get the noble message.

Even though the workshop was geared to kids, there were more adults who happened to be around who showed interest in the workshop. They asked questions and watched every step of the recycling process.

The recycling process itself is not difficult.

S. Salam and his employees from Kedai Daur Ulang (Recycling Shop), explained to the grown-ups that almost any kind of paper can be recycled provided it has not been densely printed on, such as newspaper.

Used paper for recycling can be grouped by basic color, he said, added that it was also possible to recycle papers of various colors. Results will be different from the original ones and have lower quality. For instance, recycling photocopy paper results in a blue tinge.

Apart from plenty of used paper and lots of water, the hardware needed to recycle paper is a blender, a printing screen with the frame, wood board, water-absorbent cloth and a large tub.

Salam said that one should first tear up used paper into small pieces and soak them overnight in water.

Then fill the blender three quarters full with clean water, add a handful of soaked paper and blend until it becomes pulp. Follow this by filling the tub with clean water, pour the pulp in and stir the mixture to distribute the pulp evenly in the water.

Hold the screen with the frame and dip it into the tub until it is fully immersed, simultaneously moving the screen to distribute the pulp evenly and then lifting the screen out of the water and waiting until the water drains off.

Afterward, place the screen on the wooden board and dry the other side of the screen with a piece of cloth before lifting the screen gently, leaving the pulp mixture in the board. It will take at least an hour for the screen to dry.