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Turning Junk Mail Into Fuel

Screen Shot 2016-02-02 at 10.13.09 AMI frequently dream about tiny houses, downsizing, and generally, just living a simpler life. And my dad talks to me all the time about prepping. So when he mentioned that he was taking his shredding, adding water, and smashing it into a large can, I thought, “Ok, maybe he’s lost his mind, but let’s go with it and see what happens.” Turns out, this turning junk mail into fuel is actually a thing.

As you’d imagine, with a blog title like mine, I like putting things by. I love the idea of the root cellar. I love the idea that you can have things set aside for emergencies and know that you’ll be okay. I like safety!

I also hate junk mail, and I spend a fair amount of time shredding the stuff that would (according to all accounts) make it super easy for someone to steal my identity. But what if I didn’t have to do that? What if I didn’t have to recycle it all? Well, apparently, I’d get to do this:

Pretty cool, right? I mean, it must be said that you have to be careful burning this stuff – remember that junk mail is filled with dyes and inks, so I actually do have my reservations about burning it. And due to the toxicity in those dyes and inks, never use this particular fuel source in a fire to cook food.

But if you really were in a jam and needed fuel, this might be an ideal solution. As in, “Hey, the zombie apocalypse is actually here and I didn’t stock enough wood. Well, there’s always all this junk mail….”

So there you have it. One more potential solution for your future energy needs.

Susan Baroncini-Moe

Susan Baroncini-Moe is a Guinness World Records® titleholder, author of Business In Blue Jeans: How To Have A Successful Business On Your Own Terms, In Your Own Style , and a business & marketing coach and consultant. When she's not counseling her clients on how to market their businesses, she's making jams, jellies, crafty things, and booze or hanging out with her husband and their delightfully wicked guinea pig, Ginger.

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