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Reduce paper
Print or copy only when absolutely necessary.
Use both sides of the paper for fax and copying.
Print and copy double-sided whenever possible.
Reuse single-sided, used paper. |
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Paper production is one of the primary reasons
behind the decrease in our forests. Currently,
90% of the world's paper is manufactured from
wood pulp. Many of these products - office
paper, post-it pads, paper towels, napkins, etc.
- are used once and then thrown away. |
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Actor Matthew Mordine halved the paper use in
Hollywood, by getting the William Morris Agency
to print movie scripts on both sides of the
sheet and now double-sided scripts are an
industry standard. |
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Use recycled paper
Use 100 per cent recycled paper for letterheads,
business cards, file folders and other use. Only
buy paper that is PCF (processed chlorine free). |
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Post-consumer recycled paper requires 44% less
energy to produce, reducing greenhouse gas
emissions by 37% and producing 48% less solid
waste. |
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The paper industry is one of the largest water
polluters in the world.
Recycled paper reduces water pollution by 35%,
and air pollution by 74%.
To purchase recycled paper products visit
www.treecycle.com or www.recycledproducts.org |
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Stop junk mail
Organise to have junk mail collected from staff
and recycled. |
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Every year junk mail consumes several million
trees and several billion gallons of water. And
adds on to the paper content which comprises
from 40 to 50 percent of the trash in typical
landfills. |
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Various organisations in the US such as
www.greendimes.com are engaged in cutting down
junk mail from American Homes. Members of
greendimes are able to stop 70 to 90 percent of
the junk mail they are getting. |
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Beware of idle equipment
Switch off electrical appliances – computers,
coffee makers, photocopiers, scanners and cell
phone chargers – when not in use. Each of this
equipment continues to draw power, if plugged
into a wall socket even when not in use.
Eliminate the screen saver function form your
computer. The screen saver function uses more
energy than the sleep mode. |
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The average computer left on all day uses nearly
1000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year,
releasing more than one tonne of carbon
emissions into the atmosphere. |
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IBM estimates it saved $17.8 million worldwide
in 1991 alone by encouraging employees to turn
off equipment and lights when not needed. |
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Recycle everything possible
When the office is being refurbished or office
equipment is being upgraded find a re-use for
old equipment. |
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Sony Gulf FZE, Dubai, supplied all the old
computers to the Canadian Business Council, when
the office computers were being upgraded. The
Canadian Business Council in turn refurbished
these computers and supplied them to various
schools in Northern Emirates. |
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Beware of your transportation mode
Individuals can have a significant impact on
global warming by changing their commuting
patterns by using more public transport,
choosing to bicycle or walk or car pooling
rather than driving short distances. |
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Burning oil, coal, and other fossil fuels
contributes to global warming by adding to a
heat-trapping blanket of carbon dioxide around
the planet. (Carbon dioxide, regardless of where
it is produced, distributes itself evenly
throughout the global atmosphere). If people who
lives less than five miles from work or school
rode their bikes instead of driving, they would
cut their CO2 emissions by a ton each year. |
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Avoid one-time use dishware and mugs
Encourage the use of personal, reusable dishware
and mugs when possible; avoid disposable
plastics. |
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While plastic takes decades to biodegrade, it
also adds up to the garbage produced in office.
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