Greenify Your Office
Greenify? Hmm, I don’t think that’s a word, but you get the point I’m sure. These tips can be used at home as well as at work.
Paper
Paper is a precious commodity, because too much of it comes from virgin trees which are cut down each year to make products we use every single day. Too much of it is also thrown away each year, left to occupy landfills instead of recycling centers. There are steps you can take to ensure that you conserve, reycle, and purchase from the right manufacturer.
Conservation
Always print on both sides of a page. Most printers allow you to select this option when printing, but if they don’t, it’s easy to do it on your own. Simply print all of the odd pages in your document, turn the stack around, and then print all of the even pages.
There is a cool program that you can download called Green Print. It allows you to edit documents and webpages before printing them. The idea is to save the amount of paper you use in printing, so you can delete unwanted pictures or text. The program will keep note of how many pages you’ve saved over time, and will also show you how much money you’ve saved by conserving paper and ink.
Each month we discard unwanted documents: junk mail, documents which were printed that we no longer need, pages from desk calendars, etc. Instead of throwing this paper away, use it as scrap paper. This will extend the life of the paper, and when you are finished you can recycle it.
Recycling
Every year thousands of tons of paper is discarded in the United States without ever reaching a recycling facility. Instead, it is thrown away and left to rot in a landfill. This is paper that could have been broken down and reused to create new products. Instead of throwing your paper away, recycle it. I recycle all of my paper products to include junk mail, ads, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and even what is shredded. Every amount, no matter how large or how small, will make a difference.
Post-Consumer vs. Virgin Materials
Virgin paper products scare me. I refuse to purchase them because I don’t see a point in cutting down more trees when there is plenty of paper that can be recycled into new products. Cutting down trees effects ecosystems and the amount of fresh oxygen in the atmosphere, which in turn will affect all life on earth. When buying paper, look for manufacturers who have produced their paper from post-consumer materials.
Ink Catridges
There are several ways to go green with your ink. I have not followed all of them, but I advise you to read through and choose based on what will work for you.
Soy Ink vs. Synthetic (Petroleum-based) Ink
Petroleum-based ink printed on paper will either end up in a landfill or a recycling facility. Hopefully the latter, however regardless of where it does end up, the synthetic ingredients can effect the environment. Paper will break down over time, and the ink will be left behind in the soil. Recycling facilities use water to break the paper down so that it can be made into new products. The question here is what happens to the water once it has been used? This is why soy ink is a greener alternative. I have not yet shopped for soy ink, but I imagine you can find it online.
Refill or Recycle
When your ink cartridges are empty you can choose to refill or recycle them. I recycle mine by bringing them into my local office supply store. They send them to a recycling facility and give me a discount on the new cartridges that I buy. The same store also refills cartridges so that they can be used over and over again.
