Reduce Your Office Waste Smartly

Do you contribute to your office waste unknowingly? Here's what you can do to stop it.

• Make two-sided copies to reduce paper waste by 50%.
• When circulating memos or documents use routing slips, or better still e-mail.
• Share newspapers and magazines.
• Use the blank side of used paper for scratch paper, then recycle it.
• Reuse cardboard and paperboard boxes.
• Encourage your office manager to buy or lease fax machines that use plain paper.
• Use small stick-on fax notes on the first sheet of each fax and omit cover sheets.
• Use durable products, i.e., china mugs instead of disposable cups, refillables instead of throw-aways.
• Purchase items that can be used for more than one application.
• Refold and reuse file folders.
• Use reusable envelopes for interoffice mail; reuse envelopes with metal clasps.
• At meetings or events, use durable/washable tableware instead of disposables.
• Purchase stationery, scratch pads, business cards, paper towels, toilet paper and facial tissue made from recycled paper.
• Bring lunch in reusable containers rather than paper or plastic bags.
• Recycle and use recycled toner cartridges.
• Use recycled yard waste mulch and crumb rubber from recycled tires in workplace landscaping and parking lots.