When working in an office environment, it's hard not to notice the amount of paper that floats around. I often walk by the printer and see a small stack of paper on the tray, and I wonder if anyone will ever claim their printed goods. If not, I'm sure the perfectly usable pieces of paper end up in the recycling bin. Here are some things I do to use less paper in the office and at home.
• I don't print my e-mails. Instead, I create folders in my e-mail inbox. That way I can still file things and be organized.
• When I have to print them I make sure not to print the last page, as most of the time they have three unimportant lines on them.
• Print on both sides of the paper, when possible.
• When you do print stuff or receive a hard copy of a document, instead of tossing them in the recycling bin when you're done with it, use the paper as foolscap. Admittedly, I'm a bit of a traditionalist and I find it more effective to take long-hand notes. When I do this, I always use the blank sides of old e-mails or documents. I store my foolscap in a file folder in my desk drawer. It's easy to access when I need to jot down notes or make a grocery shopping list.
• When you're totally done with your piece of paper, put it in the recycling bin.
Another thing I did was add the text "think green before printing this e-mail" to my e-mail signature. The message shows up whenever I send an e-mail. I hope it helps other be cognizant of their paper usage.
I once heard that we should treat paper like it grows on trees. I always liked that. By making a conscience effort to reduce, reuse and recycle (remember the three Rs??) the amount of paper you use, you'll take part in conserving forests and reducing waste.
On another note:
Fellow web editor Colleen Tully will be making a guest appearance here on Friday. She has something sweet to tell you about honey.
