Saving Paper

Most of us are using paper. I think everyone knows that by making sure that we use both sides of the paper helps reduce the number of trees cut down yearly to make paper. It has been a practice in our office to make use of scratch or scrap paper for photo copies of documents for internal use only. At the same time that every time before printing make sure that what we are printing is correct so not to waste paper.

Some words to think about before you throw that paper:

Today, 90% of paper pulp is made of wood. Paper production accounts for about 35% of felled trees, and represents 1.2% of the world's total economic output.

Recycling of newsprint saves about 1 ton of wood while recycling 1 ton (1.1 short tons) of printing or copier paper saves slightly more than 2 tons of wood.This is because kraft pulping requires twice as much wood since it removes lignin to produce higher quality fibres than mechanical pulping processes. Relating tons of paper recycled to the number of trees not cut is meaningless, since tree size varies tremendously and is the major factor in how much paper can be made from how many trees.

Trees raised specifically for pulp production account for 16% of world pulp production, old growth forests 9% and second- and third- and more generation forests account for the balance.



It has been estimated that recycling half the world’s paper would avoid the harvesting of 20 million acres (80,000 km²) of forestland.

Also collecting office copy paper and selling them to junk shop can be rewarding. Back then in my work I collect used copy paper without important company info and sell it to junk shop.  I get about Php 10 - Php 50 depending on the weight thus in the early Saturday morning I have hot pandesal from the trash that I help out to be recycled.

Unplug your devices

Ever remember when was the last time you unplug the TV or the microwave?

Electronics are one of the power waste source when left plug. I got this picture depicting the wattage a gadget consumes when left plug from Popular Mechanics

Now a days we often leave our cellular phone charges plug so that when we need to charge it we just connect our mobile phones.  Even that uses small amounts of electricity. Yes I am guilty of leaving my charger plug. But realizing that if all the billion of us humans just unplug maybe our mobile phone chargers that would be a great help to conserve electricity and reduce running power plants to generate electricity.

When suggestion also is buying electronics that are Energy Star certified. An electronics certified by energy star passed the standards and assures that such device saves energy by its efficiency. So the next time you buy that laptop or Plasma TV make sure that it is Energy Star certified.

Plastic or Paper?

Plastic or paper?

This question has always been asked by the bagger at the counter everytime we do our groceries. And for the longest time I have always chosen guess what? Yes I was not that into the green thing before, I chose plastic.

Most of us will be choosing plastic due to its strength. The plastic bag has a handle the paper bag has not. You can carry several plastic bags but only one or two of the paper bag. It was a decision out of convenience that we chose plastic over paper. And because of that we plastic people have been contributing to the garbage that has been piling up to the land fills.

But yesterday for the first time I told the bagger paper. I dont know what will be the difference my choices will do in the next couple of weeks or months to come. I only go to the grocery once a week. But i think if we chose to use a biodegradable paper bag, our garbage problem will at least be reduce.

So the next time your bagger ask you, I hope its time for you to change. Please say "PAPER BAG PLEASE".