How to Reduce Paper Waste

The main reasons for reducing paper waste are to minimise the number of trees cut down each year, preserve millions of litres of water, and save lots of energy. Recycling is the right choice when you’re done with a sheet of paper but avoiding using paper in the first place helps the environment most.

The production process of paper has a high carbon footprint despite its natural source. This is because it requires lots of energy. For example, creating 100,000 sheets of paper uses eight or more trees and 2,000kWh of energy with a carbon footprint of 6,000kg. And each tree chopped down to make paper means one less tree removing carbon dioxide from the air.

Trees are a vital part of our ecosystem and vital in the fight against global warming through their carbon absorption. One of their main jobs is to store carbon and release oxygen into the atmosphere. The billions of trees cut down every year to make post-it notes and printer paper can’t do this.

Offices are one of the biggest sources of paper waste. According to some research the average office worker might use up to 10,000 sheets of paper a year (although it’s likely much less now due to the new digital age). However, up to 70% of office waste is paper.

Recycling paper from offices is important to help the environment by avoiding it going to landfill and to lower your commercial waste disposal costs. Avoiding creating – or at least reducing – high volumes of waste paper is even better for the environment and your budget. Here are a few easy ways to reduce paper waste in the office:

• Print essentials only – it sounds simple but 30% of printing in offices isn’t picked up. Think about whether what you’re about to print is necessary. Could a meeting agenda be emailed instead? Can you share the presentation online later? Will the handouts be read or left behind? Ensure your team or company all follow the same rules.
• Make paperless notes – if you’re taking a laptop into a meeting you can save paper by making notes on Word instead. There are also countless smartphone apps and functions that you can use. Just make it clear why you’re on your phone to avoid annoying others.

The average UK family household throws away the equivalent of six trees worth of paper every year. This includes everything from junk mail and envelopes to newspapers, magazines, decorations, and wrapping paper. Thankfully most of this paper is recyclable and responsibly disposed of in most household recycling bins across the UK.

Recycling paper at home still requires time, energy, and resources. Reducing paper waste is best. Here’s how to reduce paper waste at home:

• Avoid paper towels – used paper towels can’t be recycled as they get contaminated, and the fibres become weakened when damp. Instead, seek alternatives such as washable towels, tea towels, or old cloth.
• Use both sides of paper – when you need to use paper for writing, drawing, or printing something out at home use both sides of the sheet. This is an easy way to half how much waste paper your household produces.
• Reuse paper – many types of paper are reusable. Save any wrapping paper and use it to wrap up gifts for others, use old newspaper to protect glasses and crockery when moving home, and get crafting by creating papier-mâché from any old sheets a s fun indoor kids activity.
• Get rid of your printer – unless you need it for work or volunteering most homes don’t have a great need for a printer. Having a printer-free home removes the temptation to needlessly print off things. It should make you think twice and if you do need to print something you can normally do so at work or the local library.