Here is an easy way to help the environment and save money. Cut down on your use of paper. Doing this saves trees, woodland species, energy, oil, water, and taxpayer funded landfill space. A huge amount of U.S. waste is paper that usually decomposes in landfills, letting off greenhouse gases.
    Using less paper is even better than recycling. Paper fibers can only be recycled a limited number of times, so even if all paper was recycled, we would still need virgin pulp for paper. Pulping, bleaching, and other paper making processes use a lot of energy and cause harmful emissions.
    It’s amazing how much you can cut down on the amount of paper you use at work and home if you develop new habits. Usable paper is all around, including the insides and outsides of used envelopes, and the backs and other blank parts of used papers. This provides plenty of paper for almost anything you need to write or print except formal work. 
  Ask your work place to adopt an environmentally friendly policy regarding paper. Whenever possible, use e-mail or post items on a website. When printing, use the front and back side. Keep partially used paper separate from completely used paper which is ready for the recycling center!
    For more information, go to http://eetd.lbl.gov/Paper

 

Copyright 2008 Christine Missik