Teri Pryczynski, age 10, of Peoria, Illinois, for her  question:

How is paper recycled?

Paper is somewhat like dehydrated coffee and soup mixes. The ingredients in the original recipe are still there; they merely became solid and dry when the moisture was removed. When paper is recycled, it is mashed and moistened to change it back into a soupy pulp. This may or may not be mixed with a new batch of pulverized wood and various chemicals. In any case, the pulp is squeezed and warmed, rolled and dried to remove the moisture a second time. The recycled paper is as good as it was the first time.

Of course, we start this recycling process right in our own backyards, our homes and parks and sidewalks. Only our willing hands can gather up all our used paper, plus the scraps that litter the landscape. If your community has a recycling center, you know where to take your salvaged paper. If you have no such place, then stir up some cooperation to start one. And do not utter another word against pollution until your local center is in operation.