WWF’s forests expert Jana, has put together a few tips on reducing the impact of paper use on the environment.
- Think before you print! Can you read that document on the screen and circulate it by email, instead of printing out several copies?
- Collect all waste paper for recycling.
- Use papers made from post-consumer waste recycled fibre. Where virgin fibre is used look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo, to ensure your paper comes from a well-managed forest.
Tips and Tools
- Never tick the box on a form saying you would like to receive more information.
- Stick a “no junk mail” sign on your letterbox and write to people who send you junk mail asking to be removed from their database.
- Use scraps of paper for notes instead of post-its.
- Re-use envelopes by using address labels.
- Archive information electronically.
- Print double sided
- Use the blank sides of unneeded single-sided copies for printing drafts.
- Use outdated letterhead for in-house memos.
- Designate a printer for draft printing and use only used paper in its paper tray.
- Set up office systems to pass reports/magazines/newspapers around to multiple readers, rather than ordering and producing multiple copies.
- Keep paper for recycling separate from other paper supplies.
- Use thinner paper.
The thickness of paper we use makes a big difference both in terms of cost as well as the amount of paper used. You can find the reference to the thickness of paper on the package, mostly ranging from 60gsm or g/m2 (grams per square metre) to 100gsm.
Heavier weight sheets use more fibre, cost more per sheet and cost more to post. Most printers work well with 70gsm and 80gsm. Using thinner paper most often does not change the performance and can save money too.
Paper with a basis weight of
- 60gsm uses and costs 20% more than 50gsm;
- 70gsm uses and costs 15% more than 60gsm;
- 80gsm uses and costs 12% more than 70gsm;
- 100gsm uses and costs 20% more than 80gsm
Lets all do our part and buy paper with the least amount of impact on the environment!
This is a great article. I am abn advocate of double-sided printing, and 100% recylcled paper. I work for an organisation that is good at putting paper waste into the recycling supply chain, but we could do more in terms of using that supply chain. For eg. we buy 80gsm 70% recycled paper. I would like to go to 70gsm 100% recycled paper.
The only place that this article falls short, in describing what we should do, without offering some practical tips on how to do it. Who sells 70gsm paper, who sells 100% recycled paper, who sells 100% recycled 70gsm paper.
If anyone reads this article and has an answer to these questions, please let me know on daniel.kennedy@bigfoot.com
Thank you for the above tips. I have added to my e-mail disclaimers the following phrase and a hyperlink to this page: “Please don’t print this e-mail unless you really need to. Help save the planet. Click here for tips and tools.” Hopefully my friends will read the disclaimer and at least be curious about it.
On another note, I would like to suggest that the campaing title “The Future is man made” be changed to a more inclusive one in which all genders are represented. For example: “The Future is made by us”, “The future is human made”, etc. Just my two cents…
Good info, thanks, and I agree with Regina - please get rid of ‘the future is man made’ tag line. I understand the sentiment and why it sounds pithy as we used to talk about ‘man-made fibres’ etc, but that time has passed.
Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW) 2004 has published two guides in the use of recycled paper for office purposes. this includes where to buy it, who produces what and how the paper measures up in terms of recycled content, bleaching, performance and other issues.
One is called “A Guide to Purchasing Recycled Content Paper for Corporate Stationery & Promotional Materials”.
It should still be available on the internet, if not let me know and I can forward it to you.
It will certainly answer all your questions! Good luck with it.
I had no idea about the increased costs and environment impacts of paper depending on its weight. Thanks Jana!