PUT IT TO WORK ... ATWORK

 

Every year, Americans throw away enough office and writing paper to build a wall 12 feet high, stretching from Los Angeles to New York City.

 

BACKGROUND.

Most of the things you've been working on at home apply to work, too. It's not always easy to implement them, but it's worth it‑an enormous amount of the Earth's resources are consumed at businesses, and an enormous amount can be saved. Added incentive: you may wind up a hero because recycling can save your company big bucks.

 

DID YOU KNOW

The average office worker throws away about 180 pounds of high­

grade recyclable paper every year.

 

Each ton of recycled paper saves more than three cubic yards of landfill space.

 

Every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of oil.

 

Almost 3 million tons of paper is collected from office buildings and industrial plants for recycling.

 

The Electric Power Research Institute estimates that American businesses could easily save 50% of the electricity they use every year. For example: By removing 2 lamps in a 4‑lamp, fixture and in. stalling reflectors instead, most businesses could cut their electric bills and never notice the difference in brightness.

 

THINGS TO DO

 

By yourself. It's okay to do some little things just for your own satisfaction. They might not save the world, but they will make you feet better and help keep you focused on conservation. For example:

 

Bring a coffee cup to work instead of using disposable cups.

 

Reuse manila envelopes ~y putting gummed labels over the old addresses. Any stationary store should have them.

 

Projects to work on with coworkers:

 

* Set up glass and aluminum recycling programs. This usually means putting containers for saving bottles and cans in a prominent place in the lunchroom, or next to soda machines.

 

* Set up a special environmental bulletin board and post notices with interesting tidbits and statistics about conservation. Include photos when appropriate.

 

* Substitute paper cups (which are biodegradable) for Styrofoam cups (which aren’t).

 

Set up a paper recycling program. Here's a simple procedure: Each employee saves paper at his or her desk. The trick is to sort paper into recyclable groups as it's discarded, by using desktop containers. Then the custodian can collect it and deposit it in large containers outdoors, with little or no extra time required. For a de~ tailed plan, write to the San Francisco Recycling Program (below).

 

* Save water at work by lobbying for faucet aerators, low‑flow shower heads, toilet water displacement gadgets‑anything you've tried at home that would be applicable at work.

 

See if you can get a two‑sided copy machine. You'll save thousands of pages when copying lengthy reports.

 

* Have an energy audit to assess your use of electricity, etc. It can make a big difference: In 1989, for example, one small business in Emeryville, California saved $2,000 in energy costs by making a simple change in their lighting configuration‑a trick they learned through an energy audit.

 

SOURCES:

 

San Francisco Recycling Program, 271 City Hall, S. F., CA 94102. Offers a wonderful booklet called "Your office Paper Recycling Guide" for $5.00. Make checks out to the City and County of San Francisco.

 

Conservatree, 10 Lombard St., San Francisco, CA 94111, (415) 433‑1000. For bulk quantities of recycled colored mid white bondpaper, computer paper, mimeo paper, copier paper, envelopes, etc.

 

Your local electric utility. They'll help with an energy audit, and h4 you conw specialty companies that can he~ replace lighting.