Paperwise: 10 Tips to Streamline Your Paper Usage and Save Trees

Top tips for optimizing your paper consumption in Minnesota

Paper is expensive. Once you scribble something on it, chances are you’ll throw it away sooner or later without using it again. But it’s not just that! The biggest problem is that we have to cut down trees to produce paper. Is a tree, the very one that gives us oxygen and has so many other vital functions seemingly unrelated to human well-being, worth cutting down? So let’s think more about sustainability.

Top eco-responsible actions to adopt to limit paper consumption

Here are some of the many ways to reduce paper waste at home and in the office.

1. Instead of post-its, use a whiteboard which will have the same function but which is erasable and reusable
2. Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins, you can also use rags. If you have a good seamstress, you can even create new towels with old clothes
3. Replace your notebooks and draft notebooks with reusable notebooks, more environmentally friendly and reusable endlessly. At work or at home, the reusable notebook accompanies you everywhere, and your notes are saved via an application
4. When you can, save your home or business documents in digital form (USB, external drives), instead of printing hundreds of single-sided sheets of paper
5. Adapt to new technologies – write emails instead of letters, and encourage others to follow your example
6. Always think before printing something. Ask yourself if you really need this document in printed form. And only print as many pages as you really need; Don’t print the entire document if you only need two or three pages
7. Always check your document before printing – are there any grammatical errors, is there anything you need to change or correct? This will save you ink, paper, money and time
8. When available, browse online shopping catalogs, which have the same content as paper promotional materials
9. Reduce your paper bills by requesting to receive your monthly bills only in digital format
10. Buy recycled paper, when you need it. It may not look as pretty as 100% blank copy paper, but it serves the same purpose. You can write on it

According to Conserveatree, 1 tree produces 16.67 reams of printer paper, or 8,333.3 sheets or 1 ton of virgin, non-recycled printing paper. The Paperless Project states that “paper in the United States represents one of the largest components of solid waste sent to landfills – 26 million tons (or 16% of solid waste sent to landfills). The average office worker continues to use a staggering 10,000 sheets of paper each year, while 45% of paper printed in offices ends up in the trash at the end of the day – this daily lifespan amounts to more than ‘a trillion sheets of paper per year, all over the world.

Why you should not rent a dumpster to discard paper

According to junk management experts at Disposal St Paul Dumpster Rental HQ, renting a dumpster might seem like a convenient solution for disposing of large quantities of paper, but it’s not always the most environmentally or economically sound choice. Dumpsters are typically used for mixed waste, meaning your paper could end up alongside other materials, making recycling more challenging. Moreover, dumpsters often get transported to landfills, contributing to pollution and environmental degradation.

Note that renting a dumpster can be expensive, especially if you’re only disposing of paper. You may end up paying for space you don’t need. Opting for more targeted disposal methods, such as recycling bins or shredding services, allows for better sorting and ensures your paper gets recycled properly. Paper can be recycled up to ten times, so let’s recycle it instead of cutting trees.

Renting a dumpster encourages a throwaway mentality, which contradicts efforts to promote sustainability and reduce waste. By exploring alternative disposal options and being mindful of your paper consumption, you can minimize your environmental impact while also potentially saving money. Think about it!

Written by scienceguy