| By :
Mark Etinger
If you work in an office, chances are you use a lot of paper. Paper is convenient, mass produced and cheap, but if you aren't careful you can easily leave a large footprint on the environment. Not only will the responsibility your company takes for their waste improve corporate image, but it will also allow your company to feel better about their place outside of the business world. Following these tips will help reduce your impact. 1. FSC certified paper - The Forest Stewardship Council certifies wood that is used in the making of paper. Non FSC certified paper might have been produced using illegal and unorthodox methods, such as habitat destruction and the harming of indigenous peoples. By buying FSC products you know that you have bought paper that is produced morally and without harming the environment. 2. SFI certified - Sustainable Forestry Initiative is another group that certifies the production of wood often used in paper. This non-profit company is independently maintained and defines fiber sourcing requirements that are used in paper production. 3. Cotton content - By paying attention to using papers with high cotton content, you are choosing paper that is made with cellulose fibers derived from cotton, linen, or flax. The incorporation of non-wood fibers is beneficial for the environment and has a distinct feel that will please the eyes and the hands. 4. Acid Free - This paper is meant to last a long time. Because of how acid eventually can disintegrate paper, these products usually have a more neutral PH and as a result, affect the environment less than acidic papers. 5. Chlorine free - This type of paper does not use chlorine gas to bleach the wood pulp in the paper making process. This prevents the formation of dioxin, a carcinogen harmful to humans and wildlife. Processed chlorine free paper is better than total chlorine free paper because total chlorine free still may use chlorine derivatives. 6. Green E-Certified' This organization supports using renewable green energy and the paper endorsed by them is environmentally friendly. When you're looking for printable paper or custom stock sheets, think green. If you need heavyweight paper that is brightly colored, use pastel colors because they don't use bleach. After that there are other ways to reduce your footprint like using soy based ink, cutting back on lighting usage and lowering your gas bill. Use e-mails, pdfs, and word documents instead of printing out memos and other office work. For scrap paper, use both sides, and of course, recycle! You're not the only one out there trying to help out the environment - the RePaper project wants to increase the rate of office paper recovery from 50% to 75% by 2015, increase post-consumer used recycled paper from 6% to 15% by 2015 and eventually up to 30% by 2020. This group wants to promote green education, with a focus on cutting back on paper usage as though it is a resource and not a necessity. This can be achieved by printing only when need be, and by staying informed and reading articles like this!
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