Conservation

[kpj]

My boss has asked me to prepare a memo to all staff encouraging them to save paper in the office.  He has also suggested that I make suggestions to them on how to go about doing this.  Could I get some ideas about conservation paper in the office.

Thanks

[joysmile60]

I can only think of some obvious things, like making two-sided copies, using the back sides of old memos, etc (as long as it's not confidential), as scrap paper,  and to use e-mail whenever possible.

And not to sound sarcastic or anything like that, but I would suggest sending the communication out via e-mail.  A memo distributed on paper about conserving paper might not go over too well.

joy:)60

[supergirl]

We are very concerned about all sorts of conservation.  In the back of my closet I found reams of high quality paper, printed on one side for bygone end-of-year school reports, but never used.    I put it in the fax machine.  The good paper is easier to work with, and the faculty love it.  The only complaint I've gotten is from a staffer who finds it annoying to occasionally have to copy the fax to plain paper, if it is a "keeper."  But this staffer also calls me on the phone from her office down the hall to ask me to put letterhead in the laser printer for her--to save her a couple of steps. . . .

[gee4]

We have a shredder in our office which we use to dispose of all paper.  All that goes in the bins are used coffee cups, empty crisp packets etc.  All paper in the shredder gets recycled.

A previous company I worked for had cardboard in trays on the desks where we put all waste paper.  Then it was then sent to a recycle company.

G

Edited by gee4 on 30/10/03 09:05 AM.

[veracity]

We have paper recycling bins in our office and also re-use old letterheads, mis-prints etc for scrap paper. Once you get into the habit of recycling and re-using paper it is surprising how much you can save.

[beaintheuk]

Same here, we have paper recycling bins in the office and a shredder for confidential stuff which also goes into recycling.

The printers are shared so it's difficult to re-use paper in it.

I don't use it for scrap as I write notes on a shorthand book and I like to be able to refer to things when I need to.

Bea

[countrigal]

Take a stack of paper, all with one side "free", and cut them into squares.  Staple them into packets (either top corner or top center) and distribute to co-workers to use as memo pads or message pads.  I keep some on my desk because when I'm on the phone or on conference calls, I tend to doodle and make notes on whatever is handy.  Any notes I make on these that are needed for future benefit are transferred (more legibly) into my notebooks.

After our paper is shredded, we send ours to the  local human society, who use it as floor coverings for the pets (kittens and puppies).  After they've used it, it goes to be recycled.  Getting yet one more use out of the paper before it is recycled.

In addition, we try to keep everything electronic.  So instead of making 20 copies of a report to send out hard-copy to everyone, we scan in one copy and send it electronically.  Everyone has been requested to scan and e-mail as often as possible, to reduce the amount of paper being used and sent around.

CountriGal
Peer Moderator

[bethalize]

"Send out a memo to get people to save paper."

I've just had a Dilbert moment there.

Tell your boss to send the memo by e-mail. That'll save paper. Write a corporate policy for memos via e-mail. Do you have mail clients that allow for a read receipt? That would enable you to track who has seen it (and who has delete it unread).

Printing things out to read them is another big waste of paper. In these days of seventeen inch screens it's not really an excuse for a first reading (proof reading is different). Encourage people to read onscreen and you stop twenty people printing out a fifty page document one time each. Have a central library copy (or two) of the document if anyone wants it for closer perusal.

Recycling is the best thing to do. Printing on both sides is generally a false economy IMO. Buying recycled is good. Using scrap for notes is a reasonable idea but you have to be really carefull about the distribution of confidential material.

Ripping a sheet in four and putting a staple through for notes is probably the best re-use I can think of.

Bethalize
Peer Moderator

[supergirl]

Rather than stapling, I once knew a school district that cut the old paper into "fours" then stuck it together at the top using some kind of glue.  You just peeled apart the sheets, like a regular tablet.  Not sure what they used to do that, but it was much better than staples.

[msmarieh]

You can take a stack of papers to Kinkos or any other type of printing company and they will cut them into fourths and make them into notepads for you.

Marie