How you can save paper
Paper - too valuable to use wastefully
10% of the world´s population, Europeans and North Americans, use half of the world´s paper products and 6 times the world average. We use more than we need and more than our share. Take the pledge and reduce your paper consumption
Put up a poster in your workplace
- Think before you print elephant poster [pdf, 318 KB]
- Think before you print orangutan poster [pdf, 321 KB]
Around the world we use around 1 million tonnes of paper every day. Too much of this paper use is wasteful and unnecessary.
The consumption of paper in many parts of the word is on the rise, with expanding production and pulp wood harvesting threatening some of the last remaining natural forests and the people and wildlife that depend on them.Help stop the madness of overconsumption of paper.
There is a lot you can do as an individual to reduce your paper consumption:
Follow the golden rule: think before you print
Pushing the print button is too easy...and wasteful. So the next time you are about to press that button, ask yourself the golden rule of saving paper: Do I really need to print this? MoreUse both sides of the sheet of paper
This is a real easy way of reducing your paper consumption by 50%. Set your printer or copier’s defaults to double sided. Select one-sided printing only when really needed. MoreAvoid printing out single line e-mails or unnecessary copies of documents
Again just follow the golden rule and ask yourself whether you really need to the print.Use technology
Electronic mail, Internet, Intranets and document scanners can radically reduce paper use, while also saving you time and money. MoreRecycle the paper you have and ask for recycled paper products
Collect the paper you use and then reuse where possible (print again on the other side if you printed on one side only or use it for note paper). And when you do have to buy new paper make sure it is recycled. MoreSave paper in your workplace
Reductions of 20% or more are possible in most offices. So ask your office manager what they are doing to reduce paper. Remind them that saving paper isn’t just about protecting the environment; it can also save them a lot of money! MoreWWF has a guide for how businesses can reduce their paper consumption to make it even easier.
