recycled paper

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Green Your Home Office in Three Easy Steps

September 28, 2009 in Home Office by Jennifer | No comments

There are plenty of important steps to a greener home office, here are three of the biggies.

1. PAPER USE:

The Worldwatch Institute notes that about 42% of all trees harvested are used to make paper. Making paper not only uses precious resources like water, energy, and trees, but cutting down those trees can ruin entire wildlife habitats in the process. Instead of virgin paper use recycled paper – which is readily available nowadays. You can also plan for a paper-free, or less paper used office.

2. ENERGY USE:

Computer use is a big drag on your home energy bill, especially when you get a few users per home. Make sure you’re using eco-savvy, energy saving computer tactics. You can also adjust your office lighting using CFLs or CFL alternatives. In some cases you may be able to use LED lighting (if you have a smaller office space. Also, be sure to unplug items like your printer and fax machine when not in use.

3. GREENER OFFICE SUPPLIES:

First off think reusable, refillable, and long-lasting green office supplies. For example refillable pencils, refillable ink cartridges, recycled notebooks and binders, recycled clipboards, and so on. You’ll also want to look for sustainably made office products and only buy what you actually need. For office furniture you can go with used pieces or sustainable pieces. Also see: Fun Green Home Office Supplies.

Cancel Your Random Catalogs

February 10, 2009 in Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | 1 comment

Everyone is always talking about stopping the insane influx of junk mail, but catalogs are a better place to start.

Why?

Catalogs aren’t simple junk mail – catalogs are HUGE mounds of paper that most of use don’t need or read.

One source notes that 17 billion catalogs were distributed in the United States in 1998 and that 3.35 million tons of paper were used for catalogs in 1999. Catalogs have become more and more prevalent in recent years – you do the math.

Often catalogs are made up of glossy paper that’s not recycled or as easily recyclable as plain old paper.

Nowadays you can find almost anything you might find in paper catalog online instead.

What to do:

  1. Head over to Catalog Choice.
  2. Catalog Choice is a free service that helps you to limit what ends up in your your mailbox.
  3. You sign up, choose which catalogs you’d like to stop and then the company contacts the catalog providers on your behalf, requesting that you don’t get anymore of their catalogs.

Catalog Choice is a sponsored project of the Ecology Center. It’s endorsed by the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Do you need the catalogs that come to your house? Why or why not?

Learn How to Make Your Own Paper

November 19, 2008 in Home Projects, Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | No comments

Just in time for the holidays – how to recycle paper! If you recycle your old paper you can make great custom gift wrap for smaller gifts, or if you have a large frame, bigger gifts. You can even make a lot, and bind it into a journal. Homemade eco gifts rock.

I’ve made paper in the past, and good additions include natural plant dyes, small flowers and leaves, and even some herbs and spices. All of these additions, added while your paper is drying can turn plain recycled paper into a work of art.

Watch this video and learn how to recycle your own paper into new and improved paper.