Oh if the walls in the print-room could talk!
Did you know the majority of eco-violations at work take place in the print/copy room? That’s where the abandoned, single-sided printouts on non-recycled or non-certified paper languish next to discarded memos shamefully buried in the trash!
While you can’t always swoop in to catch coworkers in the act of printing needlessly (or committing other paper-related felonies), making small changes every day in how your office uses paper is one large way you can show the environment some love while making a difference.
It all comes down to one word: CHOICE
The paper you use speaks volumes about your commitment to the environment.
For example, according to the Environmental Defense Organization, by choosing to switch to a 50% post-consumer recycled content paper, for every 10 skids you save 120 trees—saving enough energy to power a house for a year and reduce the same amount of greenhouse gases of one car’s emissions over an entire year!
Since actions speak louder than words, if you can’t spend money on paper that is 100% post-consumer material (paper that was used, thrown away and recycled into more paper) then compromise and use a lower percentage. Concentrate on what you can do. Just think about how much paper you use in a day then multiply that amount to include your entire office, and you’ll quickly see how important using recycled paper is!
Other things to consider when buying paper is certification
There are many types of certifications (check our GREENGLOSSARY for a full description of each) but here is a rundown of what you should be looking for:
- SFI certified (paper that meets the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Program standards)
- FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) paper
- PEFC certified paper (guarantees the timber used in the process comes from a responsibly managed forest)
- TerraChoice approved (Environmental marketing agency that helps to grow the world’s most sustainable companies)
- EcoLogo paper
- ECF (Elemental Chlorine-Free) paper
- ECF with Extended, or Oxygen Delignification type-paper
- PCF/TCF (Processed Chlorine Free and Totally Chlorine Free paper)
And since being professionally polished is just as important to you as being eco-sensible—from glossy and copy paper to anything in between, we carry an impressive selection of certified and recycled paper so you can feel good while satisfying all your printed needs.
Of course printing double-sided and using recycled/certified paper are all ways a GREENOFFICE Hero like you can reduce waste, encourage sustainable forestry and lessen the overall footprint on the environment, all while setting a good example! And for the paper documents you don’t need anymore, remember to use your blue box instead of the trash, that’s what it’s there for.
Remember, a GREENOFFICE is all about balance. The right paper for the job, and the right paper for the planet… you can have both!