Why doesn't my computer cut down my paper consumption??
Despite the widely touted idea of the “paperless office” brought about by widespread computerization, paper consumption in the US is rising, in large part because of the ease of reproducing information with computer printers and high-speed photocopiers.
The average American worker now uses about 12,000 sheets of paper per year, according to a Worldwatch Institute report. An average university with a campus population of 10,000 uses more than one million sheets of bond and letterhead paper each month.
What is all of this paper costing me?
Paper is not cheap! Paper consumption has a significant environmental impact, not only in the waste it generates but also in the natural resources and energy used and the air and water pollution created by its manufacture, its recycling, and its disposal. The economic costs of paper do not just include the paper itself but also the costs of printing, faxing, postage, storage, shipping, waste disposal, and recycling.
How does cutting consumption help?
Consuming less paper reduces:
Economic Costs:
- cost of paper for its manufacture
- amount of ink and energy for printing, copying, and faxing
- cost of shipping more
- cost of storing more
- cost of disposing and recycling
Environmental Costs:
- depleted forests
- energy consumption used for cutting, transporting, and pulping trees; for manufacturing paper; for shipping paper
- energy used to send paper to landfill or to recycling facility
How does recycled paper reduce the environmental impacts of paper consumption?
Buying recycled paper cuts the consumption of trees for paper production and conserves energy.Resource-depletion and pollution have diminished the supply of forest products and increased the cost of virgin pulp in recent years. The paper industry has responded by increasing its use of recycled fiber for pulp.
The 1998 Federal Executive Order (13101) requires the purchase of paper with 30% post-consumer recycled content by Federal agencies.
When buying in bulk, recycled paper can often be purchased for about the same price as virgin paper. Studies also show that recycled paper achieves the same performance standards
as virgin paper. Learn more about recycled paper.
Do remanufactured toner cartridges reduce the costs of paper consumption?
Remanufactured toner cartridges are also an environmentally preferable purchase linked to paper consumption. When a toner cartridge is remanufactured it is disassembled, any worn parts are replaced, and new ink is replaced. The process uses far less resources and the final product costs less (often 30-50%) than new cartridges. Most manufacturers provide free samples of any remanufactured cartridge along with a technician to install and monitor performance. Inform, Inc. reports excellent performance of remanufactured laser toner cartridges from Laser Technologies and other selected companies. Learn more about toner cartridges.
Conserve Paper and reduce your paper consumption.
Purchase recycled paper and promote paper conservation, and reduce your consumption of natural resources! These practices combined make a positive impact and help improve environmental quality.
