I'm starting a new weekly feature, so each Wednesday I'll post a suggestion that is an easy way to make a green change in your life.
eco-cajun tip for January 6:
It would be nice if printers always worked as they were supposed to and we could always remember to check that we print double-sided or check to see if only two lines of an email signature will print on their own page.
But there will always be pages that print with one line of text, or one line of error code. Or the best, the pages that get slightly crinkled in a paper jam. And we can always toss the papers into the recycling bin, but following the Reduce Reuse Recycle motto, recycling should be the last option. Even if you try hard to reduce your waste, there will be times when you accidentally use extra paper. But a few months ago, I began collecting all the waste paper, found a slightly trashed binder in the supply cabinet that was probably on its way to the dump, and created a notebook.
I told a few coworkers that I would collect any almost-blank sheets of paper, and I have yet to come close to running out of paper for my notebook. It's such an easy way to see how much paper I've saved even from the recycling bin (or at least used before sending to the recycling bin.) I use it for notes to myself, notes during phone calls, to-do lists and notes during meetings.
Thanks to a printer freak-out a couple weeks ago, I scored enough paper to last my little binder into 2012.
So for no cost, I have a binder full of fully usable paper that keeps me from needing to use brand new tablets or notepads! Less paper in the recycling bin overall.
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