Monday, September 20, 2010

5 Ways to Reduce the Amount of Paper You Use

If you are like the average person, you use a lot of paper. Whether it is printing pages or using paper napkins, you could probably make a few small changes to use less. And saving paper is a good thing for the environment, considering it takes about 324 liters of water to produce one kilogram of paper (and a lot of trees!).

We are using more paper and paper-based products than we even realize! For example, did you know that globally 115 billion sheets are used each year for computers? It’s true! But there are things we can do to reduce the amount we use, including:

• Buy recycled paper for your computer. Look in the store for paper that is made from post-consumer recycled fibers. The higher percentage, the better.
• Pay attention to what you print off from your computer. Ask yourself if it is something you really need printed.
• Use both sides of all paper, whether for writing on for printing. If you still end up with sheets that have a blank side, use them as scrap paper.
• Replace your paper napkins with cloth ones. Investing in one set of cloth napkins will last a long time and add sophistication to any meal.
• Buy recycled toilet paper and tissues when you go shopping. Most stores do carry them; you just need to seek them out.

Start by reducing the amount of paper you use and take the time to recycle whatever you don’t need any more. It is just one more step in helping to keep Ottawa green! You can also log onto this paper calculator that helps show you the benefits of making better paper choices.

At Capital Junk, we make it our mission to help protect the environment. We help people in the Ottawa area every day to recycle everything from old appliances and computers to unwanted household junk.