Paper Recycling at the Office

Recycle

Offices use huge amounts of paper, most of which ends up in waste bins. At the same time, white office paper that is the most commonly used type of paper requires twice as much wood as newsprint for instance. While 1 tonne of recycled newsprint saves about 1 tonne of wood, 1 tonne of recycled white office paper saves as many as 2 tonnes.

There are ways to reduce the amounts of paper that are used at the office and give paper waste a new life in the form of recycling. And by integrating paper recycling into a normal part of office operation, you will help the environment as well as benefit in the financial aspect.

Making the office a greener place is a lot easier than it may seem at a first glance. Here are a few suggestions on how to reduce paper consumption and prevent the used one from ending up in mixed waste.

Separate bins for paper and other waste. A separate bin with an inscription “PAPER” will tell everyone what to do without saying a single word. To achieve the best effect, a separate paper bin should be placed at every desk.
Replace virgin paper with recycled paper. Although recycled paper is often thought to be of lower quality, this is a myth. There is no difference in quality and performance between recycled and virgin paper.
Print and photocopy on both sides. This will save huge amounts of paper as well as reduce the office’s expenses for paper. Use recycled paper for marketing and use companies who follow eco friendly options such as the EDEN project.
Take advantage of the technology. Rather than corresponding with the office staff via paper documents, you can communicate through e-mail for instance.
Use electronic forms of documents as much as possible. Instead of paper copies, encourage the use of electronic forms such as e-books, PDF formats, etc..
Use projectors and white board for presentations.
Encourage the office staff to actively participate in paper recycling and saving measures.
Arrange for a leaflet distribution company who use ethical leaflet delivery policies to print and recycle marketing materials.

According to experiences of the offices that successfully integrated paper recycling programme into their daily operations, the office staff welcomes initiatives and programmes that have positive effects on the environment even if they introduce changes in their daily routines at work. It is a good idea, however, to keep it as simple as possible and be open for suggestions on improvements.

What if You Do Not Have the Power to Make a Difference?

If your working position at the office does not give you the power to introduce paper recycling programme that does not necessarily mean you need to wait for the management. You can talk to your co-workers about the problem and turn to the management with zero paper waste plan jointly but you may also ask your supervisor for separate bins for paper waste. If you do not get a response you were hoping to achieve, you should consider turning to top managers directly. They are more open for suggestions than they may appear, especially if you show them that your proposal offers financial benefits.