We can’t improve upon a recent press release from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) about the creation of the world’s largest ball of paper—a stunt with an important point to make about recycling for packaging. Here’s the story:

This August, at the Minnesota State Fair's Eco Experience, MPCA staff created a visual representation of how much paper Minnesotans throw away in less than 30 seconds. The ball weighed 426 pounds, was more than 9 feet high, and 32 feet around.

Now it's official according to Guinness World Records—it's the world's largest ball of paper.

How fun is that!

The official record for the massive paper ball came in at 9 feet 7 inches tall, 32.2 feet around, and weighed 426 pounds. In line with Guinness World Records guidelines, no adhesive, glue or tape was used to create the ball.

Unlike the largest ball of twine on display in Darwin, Minn., the paper ball won’t be on display. After the state fair, the ball was rolled out of the Eco Experience building and brought to RockTenn in St. Paul for recycling. RockTenn used the recycled paper to make liner board for packaging such as cereal or food boxes.

But there's a serious message behind the ball. The record, dubbed the largest wad of paper, was a visual representation of how much paper Minnesotans throw in the garbage every 30 seconds—paper that could be recycled.

According to a recent Waste Characterization study, a billion pounds of paper ends up in Minnesota's landfills every year instead of recycled or composted, and then reused by Minnesota's businesses. Many Minnesota businesses rely on recycled paper for making a variety of products such as insulation, ceiling tiles, cardboard, milk cartons, juice boxes, and, of course, paper.

Find out how to recycle more.

Want to see how the Minnesota paper ball compares with the ones you roll around on your desk? Watch the video.