PUT IT TO WORK ... ATWORK
Every year, Americans throw away enough
office and writing paper to build a wall 12 feet high, stretching from
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
SOURCES:
Conservatree,
Your local electric utility. They'll help with an energy audit, and h4 you conw specialty
companies that can he~ replace lighting.