PAPERLESS PLAN
REDUCE PAPER USE
ONE STEP AT A TIME
The PAPERLESS Plan can help you reduce paper
use in your business. Reducing paper waste will
make your business more efficient and
competitive, and will contribute to a better
environment for our community. This step-bystep Plan includes a waste-prevention focus for
each step, a checklist to help you take action, a
memo for employees describing what you want
them to do, and helpful information.
This plan is also available on disk, in both Mac
and PC versions, presented in Common Ground
software with a built-in MiniViewer. Also
included is a file containing the all the memos in a
word processing format for you to tailor for your
business. If you would like the disk, call the
RECYCLING HOTLINE at 800 533-8414 or EMAIL
your request to:
[email protected]
Solid Waste Commission
members are elected officials
representing the communities
and residents of Santa Clara
County. Current
Commissioners are:
S. Joseph Simitian, Chair
Matthew Dean
Wally Dean
Manny Diaz
Jose Esteves
Tony Estremera
Ralph Faravelli
John McLemore
Suellen Rowlison
Jack Walker.
PAPERLESS is a project of the Solid Waste Commission of Santa Clara County, supported
by the County of Santa Clara and the fifteen cities.
Local sponsors include the San Jose Mercury News, the Business Journal serving San
Jose and Silicon Valley, Peninsula Conservation Center Foundation, Xerox Corporation,
and KBAY Radio.
Page 1
PAPERLESS PLAN = BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
Paper is essential for your business
-- but paper waste hurts your
bottom line. You pay to purchase
that wasted paper, to print it, copy it,
file it, mail it, dispose of it. Efficient
paper use saves money, so using less
paper is better for business.
Waste prevention saves money,
resources, and is better for our
environment. Can you improve the
efficiency of paper use in your
business? Many businesses find that
they can save large amounts of paper.
This step-by-step Plan includes a
waste-prevention checklist to help you
take action, a memos for employees
describing what you want them to do,
and supplemental information.
Examine your operations to determine
the types of waste you generate and
the source of waste. Take advantage
of opportunities to improve efficiency
and eliminate waste.
This PAPERLESS Plan enables YOU
to make a difference: save money,
save storage space, and save trees!
This PLAN is easy to implement,
reduces your business operating costs,
and decreases our community’s
reliance on landfill space. By helping
you reduce paper waste, PAPERLESS
will assist the cities and the County
achieve state-mandated waste
reduction goals (see information box).
Join other businesses in Santa Clara
County and become
PAPERLESS. . . It's Better for Business!
In 1989, the California Legislature
passed the California Integrated Waste
Management Act, requiring each city
and county to implement plans to
reduce wastes disposed in landfills by
25% by 1995 and 50% by 2000.
Commercial waste prevention is
needed to achieve the year 2000 goal.
With your company's active
participation in waste prevention
programs, such as the PAPERLESS Plan,
our communities can decrease the
amount of waste being landfilled.
For information or assistance, contact:
County of Santa Clara
Integrated Waste Management Program
1735 North First Street, Suite 275
San Jose, California 95112
408-441-1198
email: [email protected]
Page 2
STEP BY STEP SUMMARY OF THE PAPERLESS PLAN
This summary shows the Plan’s strategy for each step. A section for each step includes
checklist, a memo for employees, and supplemental information if needed. Additional
information for easy reference and encouragement is also included.
STEP 1 PAPERLESS COMMUNICATION! encourages the use of email, circulating
messages among employees, and reviewing drafts on screen.
STEP 2 TWO SIDES ARE BETTER THAN ONE! asks everyone to copy and print
double-sided.
STEP 3 LET’S COUNT! shows you how to calculate the number of copies made, and to
track the increase in use of double-sided copies.
STEP 4 HOW ARE WE DOING? focuses on areas of waste reduction specific to your
business.
STEP 5 JUNK THAT JUNK MAIL! helps handle all the unsolicited and unwanted mail
you receive and to reduce the number of magazines and phone books which are
delivered. Show You Care, Share!
STEP 6 REQUEST DOUBLES HERE! focuses on requesting less wasteful packaging,
and specifying double-sided copying and printing of documents.
STEP 7 PAY ATTENTION TO PACKAGING! is another step to consider how items are
packaged, to reuse packaging, and to question whether something even needs to be
mailed.
STEP 8 THE BIG PICTURE: BUY LESS, BUY RECYCLED, BUY DURABLE, AND
REUSABLE! is the time to formulate a purchasing policy which takes into account
whether items are made of recycled materials and whether they are necessary, long
lasting, and reusable.
STEP 9 REUSE EVERYTHING! focuses on switching from use of disposable products to
use of reusable products.
STEP 10 SCRAP PAPER AND FILING REVOLUTION! helps to refine waste
reduction habits with special attention on filing decisions and saving file space.
HOLIDAY STEP WASTE-NOT HOLIDAY CHEER! features a no-waste party for
celebrating the holidays.
STEP 11 THE FINAL REPORT is a chance to review your success and your efforts at
reducing paper usage and waste.
Page 3
START NOW!
• Review the SUMMARY section. Meet with appropriate staff to discuss your
company’s participation. Strong management support is essential to a
successful program. Success stories from other businesses are included. Share
these stories to show managers what can be accomplished.
• Place the poster above your copy machine or in another conspicuous place. If
you want more posters, request them from the Recycling Hotline: 1-800-533-8414.
• Email the KICKOFF MEMO to all employees. If you do not use internal email,
post the memo where everyone will see it and circulate a copy among
employees.
• Explain the Plan at your next staff meeting. Make sure that each employee
understands the Plan benefits and what you expect of them. The Kickoff
memo provides the information you need.
• Review the CHECKLIST and MEMO for the First Step.
• To Measure results from this Plan: Check the copy count reading on your copy
machines on the same date each month (such as the 15th). Record the numbers
in the KEEPING TRACK section. You will be reminded to track copies and
costs each month.
As you proceed with each step, feel free to customize the plan to work better in your
office. Please call or email us if you have questions, run into problems, or would like
to share your progress and ideas.
QUESTIONS?
Email: [email protected]
Call the Recycling Hotline:
1-800-533-8414
Call Santa Clara County Integrated Waste Management
at 1-408-441-1198
Visit our Website at http://www.ReduceWaste.org
Page 4
TO:
All Employees
SUBJECT:
Kickoff Memo -- PAPERLESS . . . It's Better for Business
Do you know?
•
In California, businesses generate 61% of the waste stream; that’s over 27
million tons of waste each year.
•
Offices use nearly 1.5 pounds of paper per person per day.
•
An average American office worker throws away one-half pound of paper per
day. A worker in a financial institution throws away 2 pounds per day!
•
Businesses use 2 million tons of paper in copiers each year.
Our community has asked us to help reduce the waste we produce by participating in
a business waste reduction campaign.
What can we do?
We can make a difference in our office by using less paper. Reducing paper use will
also cut our operating costs by reducing postage, saving paper, using less storage and
filing space, and reducing staff time at the copy machine.
What do you need to do?
Our company will focus on waste prevention one step at a time. Small changes in
daily habits will enable us to use resources more wisely and efficiently and to save
paper, money, and storage space. Every employee will receive an email (or memo)
discussing the focus for each step of the PAPERLESS PLAN and explaining how to
implement it. Our success depends on each of us, so let’s make it an active and
successful project! We count on your participation, and your suggestions and
comments are welcome.
The first few steps are focused on cutting down our paper usage. Expect your first
email (or memo) soon!
Page 5
PAPERLESS. . . Step 1 Checklist
PAPERLESS Communication!
The first step of the Plan focuses on developing some simple habits:
eliminating the printing of unnecessary copies and using email. Reducing
the copies you make saves staff time and can reduce staffing costs. This
checklist makes it easy for you to help employees change their copy habits.
1. Keeping Track - On your chosen date, check the copy count reading on each copy
machine. Note the numbers in KEEPING TRACK, page 44. Make a note of other
changes. For tips on more ways to measure success, see MEASURING THE SUCCESS
OF OFFICE PAPER REDUCTION EFFORTS, page 45.
2. Choose A or B below based on whether you do or don't have email.
A. We have email:
• Add comments to the Step 1 memo: PAPERLESS COMMUNICATION!
Personalize the suggestions to tailor them to your company. Email to all employees
and management.
• Talk with meeting organizers, ask them to email meeting announcements and
agendas to participants. Create an email directory (if needed) for effective email use.
Encourage use of email to send draft documents to be reviewed. You are already
saving paper!
B. We don't have email:
•
Consider adding email capability -- It's an excellent tool for reducing paper use
and saving time.
•
Choose a space where important notices can be posted. Remind employees
when you have posted a notice in that location until everyone is familiar with
the new system.
•
Add comments to the Step 1 memo: PAPERLESS COMMUNICATION!
Personalize the suggestions to tailor them to your company. Route the memo
to all the staff so that everyone shares a copy (or several copies, as needed for
effective communications). Post a copy on your READ THIS NOTICE board.
3. More PAPERLESS Tips:
•
Use dry-erasable boards to reduce paper use in meetings.
•
Provide computer disks to employees who input and review draft documents
so that they can exchange review copies of documents without printing them.
Each time a document is reviewed and corrected on disk, or emailed rather
than copied and mailed, you save paper, as well as the time it take to make
and send the document!
•
Can you send and receive faxes electronically? Paper is saved when faxes are
not printed. You can also eliminate cover sheets when printing faxes when
you include the routing/origination information on the first page of your fax.
Page 6
TO:
All Employees
SUBJECT:
PAPERLESS . . . It's Better for Business . . . Step 1
PAPERLESS Communication!
We work in the heart of Silicon Valley and we still use TONS of paper? Before you
press the print button, ask yourself: Do I really need to print this?
When typewriters were considered high tech, corrections were made by hand prior to
typing the final version. With the ease of word processing, we now print multiple
drafts. Review documents on screen rather than on paper. When the final version is
complete and ready to be signed, that’s the time to print! Circulating documents on
disk rather than paper also saves all the time it takes to make all those copies.
Can the document be shortened? Can the margins be smaller? Can a more compact
font be used? Font examples:
A shorter or more compact document saves paper. Geneva, 12 point font.
A shorter or more compact document saves paper. Bookman, 12 point
font.
A shorter or more compact document saves paper. Palatino, 12 point font.
A shorter or more compact document saves paper. Palatino, 11 point font.
Eliminate printed drafts by exchanging disks rather than paper, using spell check, and
reviewing on screen. With the final version in hand, if you notice a change which
needs to be made; make the change and print only the corrected page.
Before you print, ask yourself:
Do I need to print this? Do I really need to print this?
Could I email this or leave a voicemail message instead?
Can I send this fax electronically? Do I need to print this fax?
Can I accept or use a version with hand-written corrections rather than reprint it?
Can we review this on screen rather than printing a paper copy?
Is this really the final copy? Will it be reviewed and corrected again?
Email Questions? Do you need help setting up or using an email account? Please
ask! Check your email regularly! We will rely on email more and more. If you forget
to check, you may miss important information.
Page 7
DO I REALLY NEED TO PRINT THIS?
Page 8
PAPERLESS . . . Step 2 Checklist
Two Sides are Better than One!
This step’s waste prevention focus has great potential to make a difference.
Make the change from single-sided copies to doubles. It will be easier to
accomplish if you have a copier which accepts and duplicates double-sided
copies, but even with an old cranky machine, there are actions you can take.
•
Ask your technician to adjust your copy machine to default to two-sided copies.
If your copier doesn’t “do” two-sided copies, determine how paper which has
been copied on one side must be placed in the paper supply drawer to have the
second side copied correctly. You can do this easily by running a test copy
through your machine to see how it prints.
Test copy instructions:
S. Take a blank piece of paper, draw an arrow pointing to the top of the sheet.
20. Place this in the paper tray with the arrow on the top and pointing into the
copier.
21. Copy something printed onto this sheet.
22. With the finished copy, you will see the relationship between how the paper
is loaded and the finished result.
23. Now take a single-sided copy, place it in the paper tray and copy onto the
second side.
24. Do you have a two-sided copy?
25. If not, determine whether you loaded the paper upside down or backwards
and try again.
26. Write a step by step procedure for making two-sided copies and post it near
the copier.
•
When you replace a copier, be sure to specify that the new one make two-sided
copies.
•
Set printer defaults to print two-sided documents if possible. If your printers can
only print single-sided documents, determine how to place the paper in the
manual feeding tray in order to have it print the second page correctly on the
second side. Write up instructions and post them near the printer.
•
Read and add comments to the Step 2 memo: TWO SIDES ARE BETTER
THAN ONE! Personalize the suggestions to make them appropriate for your
company. Delete any paragraphs (4, 5, or 6) which are not applicable. Email or
circulate the memo to all employees and post a copy over your copy machine.
•
Check the copy count reading for each copy machine on the scheduled date. Note
the numbers in KEEPING TRACK.
Page 9
TO:
All Employees
SUBJECT: PAPERLESS. . . It's Better for Business . . . Step 2
Two Sides are Better than One!
Imagine the pile in your inbox only half as high . . . Imagine half as much paper in
your briefcase . . . Imagine your 4-drawer file cabinet with two empty drawers . . .
Imagine postage costs plummeting and paper costs cut in half . . .
Changing to two-sided copies can give us all this and more. This step in our
PAPERLESS PLAN action is to use less paper by using both sides. It’s not difficult!
The California Integrated Waste Management Board estimates costs at 5¢ per copy,
3.5¢ per page for postage, and .6¢ per sheet of paper - they don’t even try to guess the
value of your time spent copying! Using double-sided copies reduces postage and
cuts paper costs by half.
To make it easy, the office copier is being set to default to two-sided copies. Copies
will automatically be two-sided unless you choose otherwise. OR for simple
documents: copy one side, remove the copies and insert into the paper tray to copy
the other side. Follow the directions posted by the copier.
Document Printing: For short documents such as letters, print one side, then place it
into the manual feeder and print page two. Especially with letters, the extra effort
shows people that you care about your impact on the environment.
While the court system may require single-sided documents, file copies use much less
space when double-sided and draft copies can always be copied on two sides.
Copying a large order? Copy shops make two-sided copies routinely. Consider
ordering out if you need more than a few copies, and be sure to specify two-sided
copying.
Page 10
PAPERLESS. . . Step 3 Checklist
Let’s Count!
Time to count, calculate, and create new ideas! Each employee will be asked
to keep track of the copies made on Business-as-Usual Day.
♦
Choose a date for Business-as-Usual Day and fill in the date on the staff memo in
the underlined space. Announce the date at the next staff meeting. Email the
memo. Post the date on the notice board and over the copier. If you don’t have
email, make a copy of this questionnaire for each employee.
♦
Remind staff on Business-as-Usual Day of what you want them to do!
♦
Send the PURCHASING QUERY 1 memo to your purchasing agent..
♦
Review all the forms your business uses. Are they all necessary? Can any be
combined? Can you eliminate any completely? Can some forms be
computerized? Present your suggestions at the next staff meeting.
♦
Check the copy count reading for each copy machine on the scheduled date. Note
the numbers in KEEPING TRACK.
♦
Would you like more information on how to measure paper waste reduction?
Check the MEASURING SUCCESS Section, pages 44 to 52.
Page 11
TO:
SUBJECT:
All Employees
PAPERLESS. . . It's Better for Business . . . Step 3
Let’s Count!
BUSINESS AS USUAL QUESTIONNAIRE
For Step 3 we will be counting our paper usage, copy usage, and costs. Please
continue to make two-sided copies, review your drafts on screen, and use email!
On
(date)
, Business-as-Usual Day, please keep track of your paper use and fill
in the information requested below:
Copier Count
I made
copies today.
Of these,
copies were two-sided (count each side as one copy - for example,
20 sheets of two-sided copying counts as 40 copies).
Printer
I printed
pages.
Of these,
pages were two-sided.
Paper Saved
I sent
email messages.
I sent
pages by electronic fax.
I could have saved more paper if I . . .
My suggestions to save paper in copying and printing:
Email your answers or return this questionnaire to
!
(name)
on
(date)
Thank you!
Page 12
TO:
Purchasing
SUBJECT:
PAPERLESS. . . It's Better for Business . . . Step 3
Let’s Count! Purchasing Query 1
As you know, we are working to reduce the amount of paper we use which will save
money by decreasing the amount of paper we buy. In order to evaluate our progress,
I need to review some purchasing data. Please provide the following information.
How many cases of office paper do we buy (500 sheets per ream, 10 reams per
case)?
total for last year
cases
monthly average
cases
total for last 3 months
cases
monthly average
cases
How much did it cost?
total for last year
$
monthly average
$
total for last 3 months
$
monthly average
$
Were there significant fluctuations in the price of paper?
Yes
No
Are copier charges based on the number of copies made?
Yes
No
Is the copier contract priced at a base rate plus extra cost for copies above the base rate
number?
Yes
No What is the number of base rate copies?
What is the average cost per month for copier services?
Has the monthly charge decreased in the last 3 months?
$
Yes
No
If yes, why?
Page 13
Were there seasonal impacts on the numbers of copies made that would affect the
interpretation of this data (ie printing of annual reports)? Please explain. Thank you.
Page 14
PAPERLESS. . . Step
4 Checklist
How are we doing?
Personalize the PAPERLESS PLAN! Recruit a team of interested staff to review
the Business As Usual reports and discuss the following questions:
§
How can we reduce the number of copies made?
2. Are copies made which are not needed? Why were these copies made? Are
unnecessary reports printed or copied?
3. Have we reduced printing of draft documents?
4. Have we changed to two-sided copies for filed documents instead of one-sided
ones?
5. Have we increased the use of digital filing for in-house documents? Could we use
a scanner to file copies onto disk?
6. Are people making two-sided copies? If not, why not?
7. Do some employees use much less paper? Can we acknowledge and reward this
accomplishment in some way?
8. Do we send or receive informational notices which could be emailed, posted or
routed instead?
9. Are reports copied double-sided, or emailed instead? Can in-house reports be
submitted by email or on disk?
10. Can we choose different standard fonts and document margins to reduce the
length of printed documents?
Analysis and Action: What is the most useful change you can make? For instance, are
documents still being copied single-sided and filed? Make that most useful change
the highlight of your MEMO FOR STEP 4. Include suggestions from employees.
Acknowledge PAPERLESS LEADERS. Tell your staff how much paper the office used in
the last 6 months and how much it cost.
Check the copy count reading for each copy machine on the scheduled date. Note the
numbers in KEEPING TRACK.
Next Step: Junk your Junk Mail! Order your free Junk Mail Reduction Kit now from
the Recycling Hotline: 1-800-533-8414.
Page 15
TO:
All Employees
SUBJECT:
PAPERLESS. . . It's Better for Business . . . Step 4
How are we Doing?
Thank you for returning your Business as Usual questionnaires. Your answers have
helped to determine our focus.
How much paper are we using?
on
We used
cases of paper last year and spent $
office paper. In the first three steps of the PAPERLESS PLAN we used an average of
______ cases of paper and spent about $ ______ per month on office paper.
Our employees decided that the most useful change we can make is:
[Insert “most useful change” and employee suggestions]
Several employees have been particularly successful in reducing paper usage. Thank
you to:
[List employee names here]
PAPERLESS Tips for Step 4:
Eliminate fax cover sheets! Put a fax header on the document or use a stick-on
fax address note. If you must have a separate cover sheet, use a half sheet or
just enough to get your message across. We can count our impact on paper
savings at one page to eliminate one cover sheet plus one page for each
recipient multiplied by the number of faxes we send. Imagine how much
paper would be saved if everyone stopped using fax cover sheets!
Copy on Demand. Make only as many copies as are actually needed -minimize making those “just-in-case” copies. Ask people if they need copies
before making them.
Focus for the Next Three Steps:
CONTROL
THE
FLOW, INCOMING WASTE ALERT!
Page 16
PAPERLESS. . . Step 5 Checklist
Junk that Junk Mail! Show You Care, Share!
The average American is on over 50 mailing lists. Removing names from
mailing lists requires a little effort, but the payoff is a big reduction in
unwanted mail. If you have not yet ordered a Junk Mail Reduction Kit,
request a kit from the Recycling Hotline at 1-800-533-8414. The kit will help
you to remove your business and individual employees from national and
local mailing lists.
1. Recruit a volunteer for the position of Junk Mail Supervisor (JMS). Ask someone
who has enthusiastically supported the PAPERLESS PLAN, someone who will get
the job done. Place a box in a convenient location near your JMS’s workstation for
deposit of junk mail by employees.
2. Give the CHECKLIST, the EMPLOYEE MEMO, and the Junk Mail Reduction Kit to
the JMS.
3. Phone book order. Check the cover of your phone book for the “Keep Until” date.
Up until two months prior to that date you can change your standing order for the
number of phone books delivered. Does everyone really need a “private” phone
book in his/her office? For employees who don’t require a personal set, designate a
convenient location for storing a set to be shared. Ask the staff to tell you how
many phone books they actually need. Call 1-800-848-8000 to order the correct
number of phone books.
4. Check the copy count reading for each copy machine on the scheduled date. Note
the numbers in KEEPING TRACK.
Page 17
PAPERLESS. . . Step 5 Junk Mail Supervisor’s Checklist
Junk that Junk Mail! Show You Care, Share!
1. Read through the Junk Mail Reduction Kit.
2. Read the EMPLOYEE MEMO, edit as needed and email or post for all
employees.
3. When using the kit, be sure to include all the addresses you want to delete. If
individuals get unwanted mail at your business address, these names should
also be included. Use the postcards and mailing labels to remove names from
national mailing lists. This will slow down the NEW junk mail you receive.
4. Don’t expect instant or permanent results. Review the mail you are getting
every three months to find out if you should remove names from additional
lists; then review mail periodically in the future to catch the junk mail when it
starts to increase again.
5. For unwanted catalogs: Call their 800 number, ask to be removed from their
mailing list and tell them not to sell or trade your address. Is there an email
address? If yes, send an email message asking to be removed from the mailing
list.
6. For duplicate or undesired mailings without 800 numbers: Cut off the mailing
labels and mail them back with a note to remove one or both names from that
mailing list.
7. For duplicate magazine subscriptions: Remove the mailing labels and mail
them back with a note to the “change of address” address listed in the
magazine. Ask to combine the two subscriptions into one, to mail only one
issue and to add extra issues onto the length of your subscription.
8. Local mailing lists: many people and businesses receive ADVO and Val-Pak
mailings. These mailing labels are included in your Junk Mail Reduction
Kit for your use. Other local mail can be handled with a quick local call.
Watch your junk mail for a month to determine repeat mailers and target them
for your calls.
9. Handle unwanted faxes with similar procedures. Prepare a generic note to
fax back to request that your phone number be taken off the list.
10. Review company mailing lists to find duplicate and out-dated names so that
your mail doesn’t become someone else’s JUNK MAIL!
Page 18
TO:
All Employees
FROM:
SUBJECT:
, Junk Mail Supervisor
PAPERLESS . . . It’s better for Business . . . Step 5
Junk that Junk Mail!
Show You Care, Share!
Do you receive unwanted mail? Extra catalogs? Magazines you don’t read or need?
Magazines you read once and toss? Each year, junk mail in the United States uses
over 62 million trees, 25 billion gallons of water, and when junk mail ends up in the
trash, it fills our landfills.
Here’s what to do to reduce this waste:
•
Look through all the publications and catalogs you receive. Are there any you
don’t want? Are there professional magazines you could share with others in
the office? Do you get duplicates of any publications?
•
Send them to me! I will remove your name from the mailing list and cancel
unwanted subscriptions. Drop your unwanted and unsolicited mail in the
junk mail box, located
. In order to combat the paper
waste flowing into our business, these companies will be asked to stop sending
unnecessary and unwanted mail.
•
When you receive a renewal notice for a magazine subscription, ask if anyone
would like to share that subscription with you and order one copy instead of
two, or three, or four . . .
•
When you order items by phone or from catalogs, ask that your name and our
business name not be released to other mailing lists. Write that request on
order forms and invoices.
•
Do you want to reduce junk mail at home too? Call 1-800-533-8414 and ask for
your own Junk Mail Reduction Kit.
•
Review mailing lists that you use to find duplicate and out-dated names so
that we don’t send “junk mail” to someone else!
Remember! Every time you order a product, enter a sweepstakes, join an
organization, mail in a donation to charity, or drop your business card in a “contest”
box, your name is added to a mailing list. Write a note on the purchase order,
sweepstakes entry, membership enrollment form, donation form, or your business
Page 19
card to tell the recipient that you don’t want your name and address sold, traded, or
rented!
Page 20
PAPERLESS. . . Step 6 Checklist
We Request Doubles Here! Think Twice When You Order!
Consider your responsibility when ordering documents and packaging.
Identify employees who:
•
Request reports or proposals from outside sources;
•
Receive draft documents from other professionals;
•
Order supplies.
These are the employees who can make a big difference in reducing
incoming waste.
This step has an easy checklist for you to follow.
1. Read, edit, and email/circulate the MEMO.
2. Check with your Junk Mail Supervisor to see how he/she is doing. Does the
JMS need any further help or support?
3. Check the copy count reading for each copy machine on the scheduled date.
Note the numbers in KEEPING TRACK.
Page 21
TO:
All Employees
SUBJECT:
PAPERLESS. . . It's Better for Business . . . Step 6
We Request Doubles Here! Think Twice When You Order!
Are you ordering any documents? Proposals? Bids? Reports? Draft documents?
When you do, specify that you want reports and proposals submitted on two-sided
copies.
Think two-sided every time you request a written document. Eventually, two-sided
copying will become business-as-usual, but for now it is still necessary to repeat the
request with each order.
Are you ordering supplies? Tell the vendor how you want supplies packaged.
Consider:
1. What is the least amount of packaging that will do the job?
2. On large purchases, will vendors take back the packaging for reuse?
3. Are corn starch peanuts (which dissolve in water) available instead of
Styrofoam? How about molded fiber?
4. Will a padded book envelope work as well as a box and Styrofoam?
5. Does the vendor reuse packaging materials? Does the vendor use packaging
materials made from recycled product?
6. Is the packaging reusable or easily recycled?
7. Can we reuse the packaging to meet our storage or mailing needs?
Notice how the order is packed. Tell vendors when you are unhappy with their
packaging and why. Ask them if they can make the changes you want. Since they
want your business, you can influence their packaging decisions. Acknowledge the
efforts of companies which take steps to reduce and recycle. Tell them their actions
make a difference to you and that our company appreciates receiving their
environmentally-packaged products.
Even if you do not receive your order packaged in a way which is environmentally
sound, raising the issue will make an impact. Keep asking and continue to expect
items to be packaged with consideration for their impact on the environment.
Be sure to reuse or recycle all the packaging you can!
Page 22
Page 23
PAPERLESS. . . Step 7 Checklist
Pay Attention to Packaging!
This step we consider what we mail and how to reuse what we receive.
It’s easy!
1. Read, edit and email or circulate the MEMO to all employees. Don’t forget to
ask yourself this step’s questions:
•
Is it necessary to copy and mail this document? Did I already fax or email
this document?
•
Will another document be mailed to the same client? Can I mail them
together, saving both envelopes and postage?
•
Is this mailing two-sided? If not, why not?
•
On bulk mailings, have I checked for duplicate mailing labels?
2. Check the copy count reading for each copy machine on the scheduled date.
Note the numbers in KEEPING TRACK.
3. Check the Keeping Track table to determine if the number of copies per month
is decreasing. Let everyone know how they are doing! If copies are not
decreasing, it may mean that people are now using two-sided copies (counts as
two copies on the machine count) but are not reducing the number of copies
made. If you don’t see much of a decrease, review the tips from steps 1 and 2
and see if any reminders are needed. While considering the copy figures, keep
in mind that more copies may be a reflection of more business or a seasonal
change. Don’t get discouraged! If employees have made changes in copying
habits, you have made a difference.
Coming up in the next three steps:
Page 24
THE BIG PICTURE!
Page 25
TO:
All Employees
SUBJECT:
PAPERLESS. . . It's Better for Business . . . Step 7
Pay Attention to Packaging!
50% of paper used in the USA is used in packaging! Ask for less packaging. Use less
packaging. Don’t just toss the packaging in the trash, reuse it or find a vendor who
will reuse it or recycle it. Many mailing centers will accept Styrofoam peanuts for
reuse -- Some will accept boxes too.
Reuse sturdy boxes for storage (such as packing boxes for cases of paper).
Reuse manila envelopes for intraoffice communications, for routing documents
and disks. Buy a rubber stamp that says “Once is Not Enough” or “This Envelope
Reused to Save Paper.”
Is there something you order frequently? Try ordering in larger quantities to save
money and packaging.
Time to save money on postage! Check outgoing mail and ask yourself these
questions:
Is it necessary to copy and mail this document? Did I already fax or email this?
Will another document be mailed to the same client? Can I mail them together,
saving both envelopes and postage?
Is this mailing two-sided? If not, why not? Two-sided copies weigh half as much,
can require smaller envelopes, and can save on postage.
On bulk mailings, have I checked for duplicate mailing labels?
Reuse packaging materials. Use a sticker for the new address. Reuse mailing
envelopes and boxes when possible. When you order packaging materials, be sure
to specify that packaging contain recycled fiber or material, and avoid Tyvek
envelopes because they are difficult to recycle.
Page 26
PAPERLESS. . . Step 8 Checklist
The Big Picture: Buy Less, Buy Recycled, Buy Long Lasting and Reusable!
This step, you will focus on changing purchasing practices and policy.
Changes will help your business close the loop on recycling by buying
products made from recycled materials, and products that are reusable and
durable rather than disposable.
Do you need an updated purchasing policy? Assure that you have strong
management support for an updated purchasing policy. Then:
1. Work with the Purchasing Agent to establish a policy to seek environmentallyfriendly products, including purchase of durable, reusable, recycled, and
repairable products. For examples of PURCHASING POLICIES, see pages 56 to 58.
2. Work with the Purchasing Agent to implement the policy, especially for items
purchased in bulk for use throughout the office. The MEMO to the Purchasing
Agent lists some easy products to target for purchase of recycled-content supplies.
Does the Purchasing Agent need more information? Check the PURCHASING
section, pages 53 to 55, for an article on the quality of recycled paper written by the
California Integrated Waste Management Board. If needed, print and attach it to
the Purchasing Agent’s memo.
3. Circulate or email a copy of the policy to each employee with an explanation of the
purpose of the policy and its benefits. Inform them that the new policy is fully
supported by you, your company, owner, management, etc.
4. Ask everyone who purchases supplies to request options from your vendors for
environmentally-friendly product alternatives. Set an example by reviewing
purchase orders and asking questions about the items ordered - are they
recyclable? Made from recycled materials? Durable? Easy to service and
maintain? If you don’t buy disposable items, employees won’t use them!
5. Do you have a paper recycling program? Paper recycling is easy in Santa Clara
County. If you do not yet have a program:
•
Call the Recycling Hotline at 1-800-533-8414 for information on how to start.
•
Visit the web site of the Santa Clara Valley Manufacturers’ Group for their
“Guide to Commercial Recycling Programs” at http://www.scvmg.com. (A
limited number of hard copy guides are available, call 408-496-6801; Note that
all the information is available on the web site.)
6. Check the copy count reading for each copy machine on the scheduled date. Note
the numbers in KEEPING TRACK.
Page 27
TO:
Purchasing
SUBJECT:
PAPERLESS. . . It's Better for Business . . . Step 8
The Big Picture: Buy Less, Buy Recycled, Buy Long Lasting and
Reusable! Policy Setting Step . . .
As you know, we have been working to reduce paper waste for some time. This step,
focuses on buying products made from recycled materials, and products that are
reusable and durable rather than disposable. Do we need an updated purchasing
policy? If so, let’s work to change purchasing policy and practices to help close the
loop on recycling by buying recycled. Let me know if you have questions or need
more information about the quality of recycled paper.
Our policy should allow us to seek environmentally-friendly products whenever
possible and provide for purchase of durable, reusable, recycled, and repairable
products. Once a policy is approved, we will:
•
Circulate or email a copy of the policy to each employee with purchasing
authority to explain the purpose of the policy and its benefits, and to inform
them that the new policy is fully supported by you, our company,
management, owner, etc.
•
Encourage employees with purchasing authority to request options from
vendors for environmentally-friendly product alternatives. Managers will be
asked to set an example by reviewing purchase orders and asking questions
about the items ordered - Are they recyclable? Made from recycled materials?
Durable? Easy to service and maintain?
For items purchased through the Purchasing Department, please make the following
commitments for purchase of products with recycled content:
First:
Choose/specify recycled paper for copiers and printers. Always request recycled
paper when you order printing and copying of documents. Ask for a high
percentage of post-consumer fiber in recycled paper.
Second:
Choose recycled paper when ordering stationery, envelopes, adding machine tape,
forms, business cards, checks, ledgers, files, legal pads, index cards . . . there are
always excellent recycled choices!
Buy toilet paper, paper towels, and napkins with recycled content. Check to see
Page 28
what brand we buy and if it contains recycled fiber. Consider choosing cloth
towels, sponges, and cloth napkins for use in lunchroom areas instead of paper.
Page 29
As for non-paper items, do a pre-purchase review. Do we really need this? Is there a
reusable alternative? Is this product repairable? Does it need batteries? Then use
rechargeable batteries.
Buy the lightest, smallest, most durable product that will do the job.
Choose a product with the longest warranty and with available repair service,
interchangeable parts, minimal packaging, and no hazardous materials.
When ordering software for the office, determine how many manuals you actually
need. Expect employees to share manuals from a centrally located reference
section.
Buy refilled toner cartridges and save about 50% of the cost.
Buying a printer or copier? Choose models which can use refillable cartridges and
which easily make two-sided copies. Make sure the warranty does not require the
use of new toner cartridges.
Choose fluorescent bulbs over incandescent bulbs.
Outlaw disposable pens! Have a supply of refills available instead of a box of
disposable pens.
If you don’t buy disposable items, employees won’t use them, and we
won’t have to pay to haul them away!
Need help finding items made from recycled materials?
Call the Recycling Hotline at 1-800-533-8414.
Page 30
TO:
All Employees
SUBJECT:
PAPERLESS. . . It's Better for Business . . . Step 8
The Big Picture: Buy Less, Buy Recycled, Buy Long
Reusable! Policy Setting Step . . .
and
Lasting
Paper facts:
•
One third of all waste in the U.S. is paper. Newspaper is number 1, followed
by corrugated cardboard boxes and office paper.
•
Two million tons of paper are used in copiers each year.
•
An average American office worker throws away 1/2 pound of paper a day. A
worker in a financial institution throws away 2 pounds a day.
Recycle all the paper waste you can and use recycled paper. Using recycled paper
completes the loop. This step’s goal is to purchase recycled paper products and items
which are non-disposable and long lasting.
Choose/specify recycled paper for copiers and printers. Always request recycled
paper when you order printing and copying of documents. Ask for a high percentage
of postconsumer fiber.
Choose recycled paper when ordering stationery, envelopes, adding machine tape,
forms, business cards, checks, ledgers, files, legal pads, index cards . . . there are
always excellent recycled choices!
For non-paper items, do a pre-purchase review. Do I really need this? Is there a
reusable alternative? Is this product repairable? Does it need batteries? Use
rechargeable batteries.
Buy the lightest, smallest, most durable product that will do the job.
Choose a product with the longest warranty and with available repair service,
interchangeable parts, minimal packaging, and no hazardous materials.
When ordering software for the office, specify the number of manuals actually
needed. Make sharing easy by establishing a centrally-located area for manuals.
Buy refilled toner cartridges and save about 50% of the cost.
Buying a printer or copier? Choose models which can use refillable cartridges and
which easily make two-sided copies. Make sure the warranty does not require the
use of new cartridges.
Choose fluorescent bulbs over incandescent bulbs.
Eliminate disposable pens! Have a supply of refills available instead of a box of
disposable pens. Use mechanical pencils.
Page 31
Need help finding items made from recycled materials? Check with the
Purchasing Agent or call the Recycling Hotline at 1-800-533-8414.
Page 32
PAPERLESS. . . Step 9 Checklist
Reuse Everything!
Minimize waste! As you buy more and more items which are reusable rather
than disposable, you will notice a marked decrease in waste.
Here are a few things to check:
1. Your copy machine, printers, and computers are long lasting purchases. Make
sure that the maintenance programs are effective, that machines do not break
down due to lack of proper maintenance, and that you avoid making purchases
due to frustrations which could be resolved with better equipment upkeep or
repair. Don’t throw it away; maintain it and repair it.
2. Check the employee lunchroom. Are you using disposable cups, plates,
flatware? It’s time to convert to reusables.
Don’t buy foam coffee cups.
Do provide office mugs or ask employees to bring in their own.
Do provide extra mugs for serving coffee to visitors.
Suggest that employees buy commuter mugs to use when they buy
coffee on the way to work!
3. Establish an area where people can return items for reuse such as file folders,
paper clips, rubber bands, envelopes. Use a portion of your storage area to
store reusable items.
4. Are there supplies which you cannot use but other companies might? Nonprofit organizations are always looking for office supplies and equipment!
Check the WASTE EXCHANGE section, below, for suggestions on finding new
homes for discarded supplies and equipment.
5. Edit and email or circulate this step’s MEMO.
6. Check the copy count reading for each copy machine on the scheduled date.
Note the numbers in KEEPING TRACK.
COMING:
THE SCRAP PAPER REVOLUTION AND REFINEMENT
Page 33
TO:
All Employees
SUBJECT:
PAPERLESS. . . It's Better for Business . . . Step 9
Reuse Everything!
Minimize waste! As we buy more reusable items instead of disposable ones, you will
notice a marked decrease in waste.
Thoughts and suggestions:
•
Do you buy coffee on the way to work? Use a reusable commuter mug and
eliminate those foam or paper cups!
•
Help make the switch from disposable pens and pencils to reusable/refillable
ones.
•
In the employee breakroom/lunchroom, use sponges or cloth instead of paper
towels. Use mugs instead of disposable cups. Use a sugar bowl or box instead
of individual packets. Use cloth napkins instead of paper. Observe what is
being thrown away and consider waste-free alternatives. Suggestions are
welcome!
•
I have established a storage area for reusable office supplies in
(for such reusable supplies as file folders,
paper clips, binders, envelopes, etc.). Please place surplus reusable office
supplies in this area (neatly) and look there first when you need supplies.
•
Do you have surplus items in quantity that we can’t use but someone else
might need? 3 ring binders, for example? There are several places we can take
(or obtain) products for reuse. Ask me for suggestions.
Page 34
PAPERLESS. . . Step 9 . . . Reuse Everything!
Addendum on Waste Exchanges (see note 1 below)
Waste exchange is the transfer of one business waste material to another
business for reuse. It can be done with a neighboring business, a surplus
equipment broker or a waste information exchange or clearinghouse. There are many
non-profit and for-profit waste information clearinghouses in North America. Initially
founded to encourage the reuse of hazardous materials, many are expanding their
coverage to include non-hazardous materials. These operations organize, promote
and keep track of material exchange activities, but generally leave the actual
arrangements to the generators and users. Often the matching is done via a double
blind listing in a catalog or through on-line databases. Firms send "materials
available" or "materials wanted" forms to the clearinghouses, which assign each listing
a unique identification number. These are listed anonymously. Companies seeking to
obtain or supply the material listed notify the clearinghouse. If the listing company
approves, the contract is arranged. Thereafter, it is up to the individual firms to make
the arrangements and discuss the cost, if any, involved in the transfer.
The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) began California's first
solid waste exchange in Fall 1991. The program is called CALMAX which stands for
California Materials Exchange. This is a free service for all businesses and
organizations in California. While CALMAX was designed for business, teachers took
an interest in what CALMAX had to offer. In response, CALMAX has led to the
development of KidMAX, an exchange through which companies can donate a variety
of items to California schools. CALMAX and KidMAX are now accessible on-line.
Both services are worth testing -- to list materials you would like to donate and to seek
materials you might be able to use. To take full advantage of this opportunity, make
sure your manufacturing and warehouse sites and buying and procurement officers
are familiar with this free service.
For more information, or to request applications or catalogs, contact:
California Materials Exchange
(CALMAX/KidMAX)
California Integrated Waste Management Board
8800 Cal Center Drive
Sacramento, CA 95826-9843
(800) 553-2962, (800) 553-8414 or (916) 327-9366
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Resource Conservation Division
1020 Ninth Street, Suite 240
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 327-9366
Business Waste Reduction Assistance Programs:
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/mrt/wpw/wpbiz/wpbiz.htm
Page 35
Links to other materials exchanges:
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/mrt/calmax/calmax.htm
California Waste Exchange
Dept. of Toxics Substances Control
P.O. Box 806
Sacramento, CA 95812-0806
(916) 324-1807
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov
Industrial Materials Exchange
172 20th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 296-4899; Fax: (206) 289-6399
[email protected]
http://www.metrokc.gov/hazwaste/imex
National Materials Exchange
Attn: Bob Smee
(509) 466-1532
http://www.recycle.net/recycle/Exchanges/rs000383.html
Recycler's World provides extensive listings by category http://www.recycle.net/recycle/index.html
Resource Area for Teachers (RAFT)
139 Sobrante Way
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
(408) 524-9780
http://www.raft.net
Resource Connections
1290 Ridder Park Dr. MS 240
San Jose, CA 91531-2398
(408) 453-6532; Fax (408) 453-6631
Reuse happens when it is easy and economically feasible. The reuse of office and old
medical equipment is limited by its small volume, bulk and the cost of transfer and
storage. The United Way in San Francisco operates a used equipment exchange,
providing a good example of reuse. They have a large warehouse of used equipment
which they make available to other non-profit organizations in exchange for storage
and transfer costs. The goods are accepted as tax deductible donations and must be
clean and in good condition.
Note 1: The Santa Clara Valley Manufacturing Group has given us permission to
include this section from Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, the SCVMG Guide to Commercial
Programs. The entire publication can be accessed at the SCVMG website located at:
http://www.scvmg.com/guide/index.html
Page 36
PAPERLESS . . . Step 10 Checklist
Scrap Paper and Filing Revolution!
This step, the focus is on refining your paper-saving techniques and wasteprevention habits, so you can sail into the last part of the PAPERLESS PLAN
with almost no blank sides or wasted paper.
•
Edit and email or circulate the employee MEMO for this step.
•
Place a box by the copier for scrap paper. Choose a box which is 8 1/2 x 11 so
paper will stay neat and usable.
•
Piles of scrap paper can be made into memo pads if you prefer. Buy a jar of
Padding Compound at your office or printing supply store to use as a rubbery
edge for scratch pads. Or simply staple or clip a pile of paper to make a
scratch pad.
•
Ask employees what will help. Are there other locations which should have
scrap paper boxes? Does anyone who doesn’t generate scrap paper need
some? Help solve problems and facilitate the use of all blank sides!
•
Review your filing system. Check a few folders from recent clients. Are
documents copied two-sided? If not, why not? Do you have items which are
filed twice? Could some documents be stored on disk (with back-up) rather
than on paper? Could you scan documents onto disk and keep these files and
records electronically? Resolve these questions with the appropriate
employees.
•
Check the copy count reading for each copy machine on the scheduled date.
Note the numbers in KEEPING TRACK.
Page 37
TO:
All Employees
SUBJECT:
PAPERLESS. . . It's Better for Business . . . Step 10
Scrap Paper and Filing Revolution!
Here’s what to do with all those sheets of paper, used on one side only: that page
which your printer prints when you turn it on, just to prove it’s working; those copies
that didn’t come out right; something you have too many copies of; single-sided
reports that are no longer needed . . .
•
Place your “used-on-one-side-only” scrap paper in the box by the copier. Stack
it print side down. Keep the paper neat and usable!
•
Paper which is not too old can be used to print draft copies or faxes. Scrawl a
line through the old text so that no one is confused about which side is the new
document. Make sure you don’t feed the printer or copier old, wrinkled or
soggy paper; it will jam the printer and cause frustration. Use old paper for
scratch paper and hand-written notes. Print phone record forms on “used-onone-side-only” scrap paper; and/or use such paper for printing meeting
notices and announcements to be posted on the READ THIS NOTICE board.
Filing Revolution:
•
What documents can be kept on electronic disks? What documents are double
filed? It’s time to centralize our filing system.
•
Before you file a document, decide if it is truly necessary. Are documents that
could be filed as a two-sided copy still arriving for filing as a single-sided
document? Ask the people who create these documents to copy them twosided.
•
If your filing has not become easier over the last year, ask why. If only major
documents are copied two-sided, we could still cut down on storage use by
over 1/3. Check some recent accounts and see what was copied two-sided,
what was not, then make suggestions.
Page 38
Page 39
PAPERLESS. . . Step 11 Checklist
How are we doing? The Final Report
It’s time to wrap it up!
•
Check employee handbook and handouts given to new and temporary
employees. Make sure that the Company commitment to saving paper,
resources, and money is reflected. Include a copy of the purchasing policy if
appropriate.
•
Read, edit, and email or distribute the EMPLOYEE MEMO/QUESTIONNAIRE
and the PURCHASING MEMO/ QUESTIONNAIRE.
•
Read through the responses and review the copy counts in KEEPING TRACK.
•
Fill in the information requested on THE FINAL REPORT. To correctly
compare your progress, you must adjust for the number of employees and the
number of days in the before and after reporting periods. When calculating
paper purchased, adjust the totals to control for number of employees and
number of working days, as explained below:
If you bought 200 reams every 30 days before implementing the
PAPERLESS PLAN, and had 10 employees, your usage was 20 reams per
employee per 30 day period. [[Number of reams purchased ÷ Number of
employees in first reporting period].
After implementing the PLAN, your paper purchases are 200 reams each 40
days, and you now have 12 employees, so usage is 12.5 reams per
employee per 30 day period. [[Number of reams ÷ Number of days in
second reporting period] x number of days in first period] ÷ Number of
employees in second reporting period.
.
Page 40
TO:
Purchasing
SUBJECT:
PAPERLESS. . . It's Better for Business . . . Step 11
How are we doing? The Final Report: Purchasing Query 2
In order to evaluate our progress in waste prevention, please answer the following
questions and return this form to me.
How many cases of office paper did we buy (10 reams to the case)?
total for last 9 months
cases
total for last 3 months
cases
average per employee per working day
cases
How much did it cost?
total for last 9 months
total for last 3 months
average per employee per working day
$
$
$
Is the copier contract based on number of copies made?
What is the average cost per month for copier services?
Yes
No
Yes
No
$
Has the monthly charge gone down in the last 9 months?
By how much?
What is the average cost per month for service based on our figures for the last 9
months?
$
The last 3 months? $
Are we buying recycled office paper?
Yes
No
compare in price per case to what we were buying previously?
How does it
Are we buying toilet paper and paper towels with recycled paper content?
Yes
No
Are we buying refillable pens and pencils, instead of disposable?
Yes
No
Have you noted any other changes (different items, increases or decreases)?
Please explain.
Page 41
Thank you.
Page 42
TO:
All Employees
SUBJECT:
PAPERLESS. . . It's Better for Business . . . Step 11
How are we doing? Questionnaire
This is the last step in the PAPERLESS PLAN. Please take a moment to review the
different paper-reducing tips we have covered and consider both what we have
accomplished and what we can still improve. Our waste-reduction efforts should
continue, so please share your suggestions as well as your observations.
Please return this questionnaire to me by
. Thank you.
PAPERLESS Tips checklist:
___1.
___2.
___3.
___4.
___5.
___6.
___7.
___8.
___9.
___10.
___11.
___12.
___13.
___14.
___15.
___16.
___17.
Use PAPERLESS communication. Review documents on disk. Email or post
agendas.
Make two-sided copies.
Check out what is being thrown away and figure out ways to eliminate those
papers.
Reduce to half size or eliminate fax cover sheets, use scrap paper to make cover
sheets, use Post-it fax addresses, or incorporate fax information on memo cover
page.
Copy only on demand.
Remove business and personal names from junk mail lists.
Reconsider subscriptions. Show you care, share!
Specify double-sided when ordering documents: reports, legal documents,
quotes, bids, proposals.
Specify the least and lightest packaging necessary to protect the product.
Reuse packaging. Ask vendors to reuse their packaging.
Buy less, buy recycled, buy long-lasting and durable items.
Buy toilet paper and paper towels made with recycled fiber.
Buy items in the largest quantity which we will use and can store.
Reuse everything.
Centralize filing. Specify two-sided copying for file copies.
Use already-copied-once paper for scratch pads or for printing draft
documents.
Order only those phone books actually needed. Share!
Page 43
___18. Order only as many computer software manuals as needed. Share! Consider
buying a paperless CD-ROM version of new software, or purchasing a users’
license to share software.
___19. Celebrate waste-less.
Please check the tips you use regularly and refer to this checklist as you fill in the
following survey.
PAPERLESS Questionnaire How Did We Do???
1. What changes have you made in your paper-using habits (copying, printing,
other)?
2. What changes have you noticed in how much paper you use?
3. Are you aware of changes made by other employees? What changes have you
observed?
4. From the attached list, what tips do you use regularly (list by number)?
5. What recommendations do you have for our business to continue to reduce waste
and to use less paper?
6. Do you have other tips to add to the list to help other businesses reduce waste?
What are they?
Page 44
Page 45
PAPERLESS. . . Step 11
How are we doing? The Final Report
Business Name:
Office Manager Name:
Mailing Address:
Phone:
Email address:
1. Please summarize your progress.
2. What differences have you noticed in paper usage?
3. How have employees responded?
4. What decrease (increase) in paper usage has been reported (adjusted for changes
in numbers of employees and number of working days in comparison periods)?
5. What decrease (increase) in number of copies made is reported on your copier
service contract (adjusted for changes in numbers of employees and number of
working days in comparison periods)?
6. What decrease (increase) is reported in expenditures for paper (adjusted for
changes in numbers of employees and number of working days in comparison
periods)?
Page 46
7. To what do you attribute the changes?
8. Is your business now buying recycled paper products?
•
Office paper for the copiers and printers?
yes
no
•
Stationery, envelopes, business cards, etc.?
yes
no
•
File folders, packaging materials?
yes
no
•
Toilet paper, paper towels?
yes
no
not applicable
•
Other recycled paper products?
yes
no
not applicable
9. Did your business adopt a new purchasing policy? If so, what did it cover?
(Include a copy, if possible)
10. What did you like about the PAPERLESS plan?
11. What did you dislike about the PAPERLESS plan?
12. What suggestions do you have that will make this plan better?
What else can we do to help businesses decrease waste?
Page 47
PAPERLESS. . . Holiday Checklist
Give a Gift to the Environment with Waste-Not Holiday Cheer!
Celebrate trashless holidays -- Enjoy yourselves without spending money on
disposable items -- Have fun without creating mounds or mountains of
waste! Here's how:
Plan a staff party with no waste and no disposable paper products. Your planning
sets the tone: We care about what we buy and what we throw away. Note also that
you can use these party planning tips for other parties throughout the year!
Does your company send out holiday cards? This year, send cards printed on
recycled paper! Using recycled paper tells your clients and customers that you are
thoughtful about your impact on the environment. Most card suppliers offer a variety
of cards printed on recycled paper. If yours doesn’t, choose another supplier and tell
your supplier why you’re changing.
Planning a party? Give this checklist to the party planner, and offer your guidance to
ensure that they support and understand the concept of a no-waste party.
Party Planning Step 1. Refreshments/Meals
• Catering out? Choose a restaurant that uses cloth napkins and nondisposable dishes; where the management enthusiastically recycles. Ask
questions! If the restaurant doesn't recycle, choose another place and let
both restaurants know why.
• Catering in? Choose a caterer who will supply reusable dishes and napkins,
and will set up for recycling. If you're having the food supplied, ask the
caterer to provide reusable trays which can then be returned or ask to have
food presented on your trays/dishes. [Arrange to drop off trays before they
will be needed and mark the bottoms with your business name].
• Do-it-yourself? Go to step 2.
Party Planning Step 2. Simple and inexpensive
• The simplest: choose a finger food menu (no forks or plates needed).
Provide a recycling bin for beverage cans and bottles.
• Purchase enough cloth napkins for the party (or rent from a linen service,
see below). Ask a volunteer to be responsible for washing and folding
purchased napkins after the party. Once bought, napkins will be useful for
years.
• A little more fancy, please: Check “Rental Service Stores” in the yellow
pages for a place to rent dishes, napkins, and flatware. Many will deliver.
You may return rinsed dishes and soiled napkins so only a little effort goes
into using rented items.
Page 48
Party Planning Step 3. Do you exchange gifts?
• Ask everyone to be creative in their wrapping; no commercial paper
allowed! Cloth (even napkins), old maps, Sunday comics, and other items
to be tossed can have a second life as wrapping paper. Consider awarding
a prize for the most clever and waste-free package.
• Consider a no-gift strategy. Do employees really need more stuff? As an
alternative, donate to charity, or adopt a family [this can have unanticipated
team-building benefits, too]. Call the Recycling Hotline at 1-800-533-8414
for information.
• If your staff still uses disposable foam or paper cups for coffee, then a mug
can make a fun gift exchange. Daily use of mugs will noticeably decrease
your employee lunch room garbage. Suggest that everyone check their
homes for mugs they don’t use or shop at a thrift store. Now we are really
talking REUSE!
• Does your staff already use their own mugs? Ask them to bring them to the
party.
Party Planning Step 4. Post a creative holiday party announcement and let
everyone know that the theme this year is GIVE A GIFT TO THE
ENVIRONMENT and WASTE-NOT! Tell them that this is their December
PAPERLESS PLAN action.
HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY!
Page 49
SUCCESS STORY #1
LAWYERS TURN LEADERS IN RECYCLED PAPER
PURCHASING
Tuttle & Taylor, A Law Corporation
Los Angeles, CA
Background. Like a lot of modern-day employees, the attorneys at Tuttle
and Tuttle (T & T) have a lot of paper work. A Los Angeles firm with
approximately 50 attorneys who handle a wide range of matters throughout
the US and abroad, T&T is well known for litigating complex business cases
in state and federal courts. Over half of the firm’s lawyers concentrate their
practice in the area of litigation. In addition to traditional court proceedings,
the firm has experience in alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, such
as private judicial services, arbitration and mediation, and in the
environmental arena.
That said, it’s not much of a stretch to understand why T&T has woven into
its business practices a better way for people and their planet to coexist more
peacefully--and they were leaders in their field in doing so. T&T took an
early interest in reducing, reusing, and recycling waste and in purchasing
recycled products before The Judicial Council ultimately required the legal
profession to use recycled-content paper (effective January 1, 1995) on all
original court and service copies of documents and forms filed with state
courts. (In addition, beginning January 1, 1996, all copies of documents filed
with the courts or served on other parties must be on recycled paper.)
Recycled-Content Products Purchases. T&T has been effective in purchasing
recycled-content paper. They purchase Eaton Encore paper (100% recycled/30%
postconsumer), Stuart Cooper laser recycled papers (100/20), Stuart Cooper recycled
address labels (100/20), Jiffylite padded envelopes (100% recycled paper 30% recycled
plastics/15% postconsumer), Smead brown kraft file folders (50 recycled/10 PC), and
Crane's recycled stationery papers (100% recycled).
Another important consideration: Presentation is very important to a law firm. T&T
has also incorporated a prestigious watermark into their letterhead which proclaims it
as Recycled.
Buying recycled products is an extremely important facet of your integrated
waste management program. Until materials are made into new products, they are
not really recycled (your trash is just tidily separated.) Recycling won’t work
unless those products are purchased regularly. In the interest of encouraging you
to consider all facets of waste prevention and recycling, these case studies include
not only the buy-recycled practices of model companies, but give you a glimpse of
their overall approach to waste management. Some companies highlighted in
Page 50
these studies are winners of the CIWMB Waste Reduction Awards Program
(WRAP). Tuttle & Taylor is one of them.
Page 51
“Early on, the Los Angeles County Bar had a seminar about what other offices were
doing to purchase recycled products,” said René Garcia, Administrative Assistant at
Tuttle and Taylor. “Prices weren’t very competitive, back then, but we kept checking
back, and once enough people started doing sufficient amounts of business using
recycled, the prices came down; then many offices, like ours, switched to them.” T&T
benefited by checking prices with several vendors. Recycled-content paper costs
them the same as nonrecycled.
Scope of Recycling Program. Fortunately, T&T’s location in a large office complex
has made the environmental cause even easier to support, with the building’s ongoing
and regularly updated recycling program. T&T recycles white and mixed paper, cans,
and glass through the building management program. The property manager has set
a goal to recycle 50-75 percent of the waste generated in the complex. Employees
practice waste reduction by reusing blank sides of paper, making double-sided copies,
and handling edits by e-mail so only final products are printed. They donate paper to
schools on occasion, as well as furniture and old equipment to various charities and
hospitals.
What’s New in Recycled-Content Products? T & T decided to deplete a five-year
stock of those hard-to-recycle yellow legal pads and switch to much more recyclable
white postconsumer-content pads. “We are exhausting the last of them in our
warehouse and making the switch,” reports Garcia.
Tip: René Garcia advises, “Check with your stationers. They are a gold mine of
valuable information about recycling. Stuart Cooper is the company we work with.
They have a large line of products with postconsumer recycled content. You can’t tell
the difference in quality. Crane & Co. is another traditional maker of fine papers with
new recycled stocks for letterheads and papers that go directly to clients.”
For More Information: Contact René Garcia at Tuttle & Taylor, (213) 683-0600.
Page 52
HP Reduces Waste by 93 Percent
SUCCESS STORY #2
Hewlett-Packard Company, Roseville, CA
BACKGROUND
The Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) is a
provider of computing, Internet and
intranet solutions, services,
communications products, and
measurement solutions. In accordance
with its environmental policy, HP is
committed to conducting its business in
an ethical and socially responsible
manner. To HP, that commitment
means a major responsibility to protect
the ecology, the health and safety of its
employees, its customers, and the locales
in which it operates worldwide.
The Roseville plant, one of
approximately 25 HP entities in
California, is home to sales, engineering,
and manufacturing distribution
activities. With nearly 4,000 employees,
the Roseville plant makes a significant
contribution to the local economy. HP
aims to be an asset and a positive
influence on the community of which it
is a part. Some examples of HP’s
community involvement include
assisting local schools, supporting
proactive environmental legislation, and
fund raising for, and operating its plant
with strict environmental safeguards.
RECYCLED-CONTENT PRODUCTS
PURCHASES.
HP buys virtually all recycled-content
office products:
•
Computer paper - 50-100 percent
recycled/10-30 percent
postconsumer (PC).
•
Paper towels and toilet tissue
(100 percent recycled).
•
Post-It notes (100 percent recycled
fibers, 20 percent PC).
•
Avery labels and phone message
pads (all 5-10 percent PC).
•
Pendaflex files and manila folders,
(all 100 percent recycled, 10-50
percent PC).
HP is a member of the Recycled Paper
Coalition, an organization of companies
and public agencies committed to
purchasing environmentally preferred
paper products with a minimum of 20
percent postconsumer content whenever
possible.
SCOPE OF RECYCLING
PROGRAM
HP recycles a wide range of materials: all
grades of paper, cardboard, glass, scrap
metal, phone books, magazines, motor
oil, folders, large envelopes, boxes,
packing material (polystyrene,
polyethylene, polyurethane, and
polypropelene), assorted plastics, reels,
shrink wrap, trays, toner and inkjet
cartridges, wood pallets, scrap wood,
electronic equipment and yard wastes.
Buying recycled products is an
extremely important facet of your
integrated waste management
program. Until materials are made
into new products, they are not really
recycled (your trash is just tidily
separated.) Recycling won’t work
unless those products are purchased
regularly. In the interest of
encouraging you to consider all facets
of waste prevention and recycling,
these case studies include not only
the buy-recycled practices of model
companies, but give you a glimpse of
Page 53
their overall approach to waste
management. Some companies
highlighted in these studies are
winners of the CIWMB Waste
Reduction Awards Program (WRAP).
Hewlett-Packard is a three-year
WRAP winner.
It has been well worth it! For the first
two quarters of FY 1997, the Roseville
plant’s actual disposal costs were
$37,445; avoided costs were $721,192;
and recycling income totaled $149,241.
Even considering the labor costs
involved in recycling, the company
comes out ahead (to say nothing of the
gains to the overall region and
ecosystem by conserving resources).
Best of all, the plant’s landfill diversion
rate has improved despite an increase in
employees. For the first two quarters of
FY 1997, statistics show a 93.3 percent
diversion rate in Roseville! (These
statistics are up from 92.5 percent in FY
‘96, 84 percent in FY ‘95, and 74 percent
in FY ‘94.) This exceeds the State’s “50
by 2000” goal by a long shot, and
worldwide, HP’s global diversion rate is
over 75 percent.
HP also practices waste reduction by
making double-sided copies and
encouraging worldwide use of e-mail.
The company at large has made
significant strides in reducing their
packaging material to the minimum
amount needed to ensure safe transport
of a product. HP introduces and
updates employees on the company’s
waste reduction practices and
environmental policy. Acting in an
environmentally responsible manner is
an expected employee performance
standard.
Other prevention-oriented activities
include conversion of printed paper
reports to on-line computer access,
saving 100,000 pages of fan-fold
computer reports in a three-month
period. Similarly, HP switched to
network-distributed software,
documentation, and support, saving
2,000 individual program purchases
containing 6,000 manuals; 16,000
diskettes; and 2,000 shipping cartons.
HP recycles 95 percent of its foam
packaging peanuts, eliminates film
plastic overwrap on incoming products,
reuses pouches to transport and handle
PC boards; and recycles used computer
equipment—both from customers and
in-house.
HP has hosted “spring cleaning” days
for its employees, an event that
generated over 10,000 pounds of
reusable supplies (older calculators,
phones, paper products, binders,
folders, and small office equipment).
These items were donated to local
schools. HP also donates reusable
cafeteria equipment to local schools after
upgrades.
In Placer County, where the Roseville
HP plant is located, there is no curbside
recycling program available. HP
sponsors a monthly Employee Recycle
Day onsite. That helps employees
divert approximately 2,000 pounds per
month from the landfill. Collected
materials include all paper, junk mail,
magazines, newspaper, food boxes,
plastics #1 and #2, steel cans, glass, and
cardboard.
TIP
It is often said and almost sounds trite,
but the truth is that it takes a paradigm
shift—a major change in thinking—to
make the kind of changes HP has made
over the past few years. One has to
think about the ramifications of
designing and manufacturing each item
and what happens to them at the end of
their life cycle. HP has long been
involved in product stewardship issues
and created a corporate position to
coordinate divisional activities.
Like many companies, HP has
contributed to bringing awareness about
environmental concerns to Corporate
Page 54
America. This awareness benefits
everyone. Once one company excels in
a particular operation that benefits the
environment, everyone soon follows.
That means anything you do for the
environment in the business world will
have a positive domino effect. Here’s
where little things mean a lot—and add
up to a lot of savings in both company
dollars, and health and well being—in
that big Global Company where we all
live and work.
For more information
Information about HP and its products
can be found on the World Wide Web at
http://www.hp.com. For more
information on this case study, contact
Debbie Cancillia at Hewlett-Packard,
(916) 785-5650.
For more information about this topic,
contact the CIWMB’s Buy Recycled
Section at (916) 255-2708.
Page 55
MEASURING SUCCESS #1
This page provides a simple chart for keeping track of copier counts
throughout your implementation of PAPERLESS. The next six pages provide a
set of measurements to help you evaluate your paper reduction successes.
See also the two page fact sheet below:
DETERMINING SAVINGS FROM PAPER WASTE REDUCTION PROGRAMS.
Keeping Track of Copier Counts
Enter the copier count numbers on the fifteenth of each month and calculate the
number of copies made. A sample of the calculations are included after the chart.
PAPERLESS
MONTH
Starting
count
1
DATE
COPIER
COUNT
TOTAL
COPIES
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Totals
Calculations:
♦
Total Copies = Copier count for first month minus copier count for following
month.
Two-sided copies count as two copies. You may find that paper use is decreased,
while copier counts remain the same. This indicates a positive change, but it will
not be reflected in copier count numbers.
Page 56
MEASURING SUCCESS #2
MEASURING THE SUCCESS OF OFFICE PAPER REDUCTION EFFORTS
Paper is the number one item used and wasted in offices. Making before
and after comparisons is at the heart of learning how many resources and
how much money you are saving.
Measuring success provides you with
information to help promote your
program and find ways to improve it.
Top management, shareholders,
employees, and customers will learn how
your organization is eliminating waste,
saving money, and helping the
environment.
Activities to Measure
What you measure depends on the paper
saving and recycling activities your
organization uses. The most common
activities are:
• Reducing images printed or
photocopied by use of routing slips, email, electronic faxing, viewing online,
current and shorter mailing lists, and
reducing print overruns.
• Increasing the amount of duplex (twosided) copying and printing.
• Reducing page sizes or weight.
• Reusing paper by making scratch pads
from paper used only on one side.
• Conducting employee awareness
campaigns.
• Collecting paper for recycling.
• Buying recycled paper.
It’s as Easy as One, Two, Three. . .
The three basic steps to measuring
success are:
1. Establish a baseline—measure “before
scenario.”
2. Start the activity you are trying to
measure.
3. Determine impact of change—
measure the “after scenario” and
make comparisons to baseline.
Baseline Measurement
Baseline measurements are used to
gauge success and are extremely
important. It is much easier to collect
this information before you implement
change, rather than trying to find it
later!
A baseline may include several months
or even years of tracking. The type of
information collected depends on what
change you are trying to measure and
your need for accuracy. Usually there is
a trade-off between the degree of
accuracy and how much effort it takes to
make the measurement. In many cases,
a reduction of two or three percentage
points could be within the margin of
error in measuring waste generation.
Compensate by measuring over long
time periods (e.g., fiscal year, same
month in different years). Methods are
discussed below.
After establishing a baseline, implement
the change you want to measure, then
revisit the numbers. Perhaps you have
identified new benefits or problems to
track.
Finally, create the “after scenario” and
determine the benefits and costs of the
change you are measuring.
Types of Measurements
Page 57
Here are a few types of measurements
you may want to consider taking:
• Paper measurements. Reduction in
paper purchased, increase in paper
collected for recycling, increase in
paper purchased with recycled
content, reduction in waste generated.
• Financial measurements. Savings in
purchasing costs, printing costs,
postage, handling and transportation
costs, disposal costs, total annual
savings, payback periods (if equipment
purchased). Remember to include any
labor costs associated with your
program.
• Customer and employee satisfaction.
• Reduction in errors and lost records.
• Storage needs.
• Amount of resources saved (energy,
water, trees, etc.).
Paper Basics
The most common office paper is 20-lb
white ledger. Table A has information to
help you convert measurements so the
information can be reported by the sheet,
ream, case, or pound. You will probably
just want to measure 20-lb paper, unless
your office uses significant amounts of
other paper types.
Measuring Paper-Saving Activities
This section is from a draft guide and
software on measurement being
developed by the U.S. EPA and UCLA.
For more information about this guide
contact Judy Taylor, U.S. EPA at (703)
308-7277.
Below are two methods for measuring
paper reduction. Use the first one if you
want an overall measurement from
combined activities. The second method
is for measuring paper reduction from
duplexing. Do not sum your results from
the two methods or you will be double
counting!
Table A: White Office Paper Basic: 20-lb paper1
Weight
Volume
One (non-metric) ton (2,000
lbs.)
1 ton
4.33 cu yd
One case (10 reams/case)
Number of
Sheets
Cost (dollars)
200,000
$600 - $1,000
50 lb.
5,000
- $25
One ream
5 lb.
500
- $2.5
One sheet
.16 oz
1
$.003 - $.005
One foot stack of unused paper
3,000
Postage for extra ounces of first class mail
$/ounce
$/ ton
$/extra sheet
$.23
200,000
$7,000
1
$.035
$110
Disposal for one ton (assume $25/cu yd)
Bruce Nordstrom, Office Paper Efficiency: What You Can Do and Useful Facts for Your
Paper Efficient Office, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, 11/16/94.
1
This fact sheet focuses on how to measure overall paper reduction, paper reduction
from duplexing, and efforts to buy more recycled paper. Phone the CIWMB’s
Waste Prevention Info Exchange for assistance with other types of measurement at
916-255-INFO, or e-mail at [email protected]
Page 58
Method 1: Overall Paper Reduction
This method enables you to measure the
impact of your combined paper
reduction activities (e.g., duplex
copying, electronic mail, electronic
reports, policy to allow handwritten
corrections, etc.). You can also use the
equation that follows to calculate paper
conserved through employee education.
To calculate your organization’s overall
paper reduction, follow the steps
outlined below:
1. Determine the amount of paper used
(company-wide or by department)
prior to starting your paper reduction
efforts. You can do so by examining
paper purchasing records for the
previous year. Alternatively, review
records of paper distributed to
various departments or floors, if
available.
2. Track the amount of paper used after
the corporate policy or education
efforts. You can do so through
purchasing records or by tracking
paper use at a paper distribution
point over a representative period of
time.
Caveats and Assumptions for
Method 1. This equation is useful for
determining total paper reduction, but
cannot account for specific reduction
activities. If you prefer to evaluate the
impact of separate paper reduction
activities, contact the Waste Prevention
Info Exchange for more detailed
information: 916-255-INFO.
Overall Paper Reduction
Reduction in tons/year = ( ___________ - ___________ ) ÷ 400 reams/ton
No. of reams
used before
change
No. of reams
used after
change
Example
A company kicked off a paper reduction campaign. Employees brainstormed ideas to
conserve paper. Management announced its support of these activities. In subsequent
months, managers continued to educate employees on the paper reduction policy. To measure
results, the purchasing department tracked the amount of white ledger paper purchased per
month and compared these figures to paper purchased in the previous year.
From April 1994 to April 1995, the company purchased 210 cases (2,100 reams) of white ledger
paper. From May 1995 to May 1996, the company purchased only 197 cases (1,970 reams).
Annual paper reduction can be calculated as:
Tons of paper reduced/year
= (2,100 reams - 1,970 reams) ÷ 400 reams/ton
= .33 tons
Page 59
Method 2: Two-Sided Copying
Photocopying accounts for more than
one quarter of all office paper use. In
1990, 1.9 million tons of paper was
used in photocopiers in the United
States. By increasing two-sided
copying to the extent feasible, offices in
the United States could save 373,000
tons or about 20 percent of paper used
annually. Doing so would result in
cost savings (in paper purchase and
waste disposal) of $414 million.1
Additional savings can be realized in
reduced filing space required and
reduced mailing costs associated with
two-sided copying of documents.
To calculate the paper reduction from
duplex copying, follow the steps
outlined below.
This equation does not account for
other factors that may affect waste
reduction results. For example, if your
level of production increases due to a
good business climate, you may
generate additional paper even though
your company is implementing a
number of waste reduction activities.
To make more meaningful
1
R. Graff & B. Fishbein, Reducing Office
Paper Waste, INFORM (1991).
comparisons, you may want to
compare paper usage on a “per
employee” or “per dollar sales” basis.
Doing so will help you account for
changes in productivity.
1.
Obtain the rate of duplex images
made. This can be obtained from:
• A duplexing image rate counter,
if available. This counter may be
inside your machine and not be
apparent. Consult your service
representative about its availability
and ask if they can take readings
when they service the machine.
• Conducting an employee survey.
One method involves posting a
sheet by the copier to mark the
number of double-sided copies
made during a certain period.
Alternatively, issue a short
questionnaire with questions about
duplexing.
• Track the papers loaded into the
copier and compare it to the total
images made. If a paper contracted
service or central copying center is
available, it may be able to provide the
duplexing image rate for a certain
period.
Paper Reduction from Two-Sided Copying
Duplexing image rate = ( _____________) ÷ (____________ )
No. of duplex
images made
Total no. of
images made
Reduction in tons/year = [[( _____ x 5 lbs./ream) ÷ 2,000 lbs./ton] x [ _____ ÷ ( 2 - _____ )]]
total no of reams of
paper used for
copying per year
duplexing
rate from
above
duplexing
rate from
above
Page 60
Example
A company with 29 employees has a copier with a counter. It recorded that 2,544 images were
made during a one-week period. In the same time period, employees estimated that 422 copies
were doubled-sided. The department estimates it uses approximately 4 - 5 reams of copy paper
per week. The weekly amount has to be converted into years:
=
4.5 reams/week x 52 weeks/year
=
234 reams per year
Annual reduction can be calculated as:
= (234 reams x 5 pounds/ream) x (422 images ÷ 2,544 images)
2000 pounds/ton
2 - (422 images ÷ 2,544 image
= 105.8 pounds or .05 tons
2.
Record the total number of images
made by the copier which is
available from the counter. This
information should be recorded
during the same 2survey period as
above.
3.
Record the total reams of paper used
for copying per year. This figure
may be available from purchasing
records or inventory control.
4.
To measure results of a duplexing
policy, conduct a baseline survey to
measure the level of duplexing prior
to the policy and a follow-up survey
to calculate the waste diversion from
implementing the duplexing
program.
Caveats and Assumptions for
Method 2.
In order to accurately extrapolate paper
conserved over one year, you should
collect survey data for several months.
In addition, be sure that your
measurements for paper used include
only paper used in the copy machines.
White ledger paper may also be used for
plain paper fax machines, laser printers,
and other uses.
Measuring Buy Recycled Activities:
the Other Side of Paper
While this fact sheet focuses on ways to
measure paper reduction, it is equally
important to measure the success of
your company’s buy recycled activities.
Reducing paper use, recycling, and
buying recycled-content paper are all a
part of a holistic waste management
system. Experience shows that this is
not only what works best for the
environment, it saves the most money
for your business. The same principles
mentioned so far apply: establishing a
baseline (“before scenario”), making the
wanted change (buying recycled-content
products or increasing their purchase),
then measuring the impact of the change
(“after scenario”).
Decide which categories of paper
products you want to track. For
example, Recycled Paper Coalition
members, who make a commitment to
gradually increase their purchases of
postconsumer paper products, are
encouraged to report their progress
annually on buying these grades of
paper: laser/forms bond, book offset
and cover stock, envelope grades,
newsprint, towel and tissue, corrugated,
chipboard, and other. Members are
further asked to report (1) annual
purchases of all products by weight, (2)
annual purchases of recycled-content
products by weight, and (3) the
percentage of postconsumer material in
the recycled-content products
purchased.
Page 61
Don’t underestimate the importance of
your buying power and the help you can
get from your paper vendor(s) in
tracking your progress. It is highly
likely that your vendor has
computerized records on all sales to
your company. If you don’t have an
easy, internal method of tracking this
information, ask for an annual printout.
This puts all your paper purchasing data
from each vendor in one place.
If it isn’t obvious at a glance which
products contain recycled content, call
and ask your vendor’s staff to look it up
by product number and description.
Make sure, while you’re at it, to note the
percentage of recycled content.
Remember, some recycled-content
products have minimum postconsumer
material content requirements to be
considered a qualified recycled-content
product. Another way to do this is to
make these notes as you purchase (stock
numbers, description, and percentage of
recycled content). Then the annual
summary can be translated into
recycled-content purchasing statistics
according to your ready-made reference.
There is even a better way to do it: The
California Integrated Waste
Management Board (CIWMB) has
created a procurement tracking
application that can be used by anyone
with the need or desire to accurately and
easily keep track of purchases. The
application has been specially designed
to track recycled-content product (RCP)
purchases, but its capabilities are
endless. All you need is an IBM-based
personal computer with a 386 processor
or better, and an order form, and you
can begin to explore the many benefits of
this FREE software application. To
obtain an order form, contact Jerry Hart
at CIWMB: (916) 255-4454.
Last but not least, do evaluate your RCP
purchases regularly. Like any other
products, some RCPs do the job better
than others. Consider efficiencies, and
remember that reducing paper use is
your top priority toward the goal of
creating a cost-effective, integrated waste
management system. The quality of
RCPs and the practice of buying recycled
are not served in the long run unless we
identify the few bad apples and reward
manufacturers who make high-quality
products from postconsumer materials.
Tracking your progress in the allimportant area of purchasing—the
linchpin that holds together the entire
recycling system—it helps justify your
part in making recycling work. It also
helps reinforce that RCPs have become
reputable, reliable products, in spite of
the early problems and understandable
misgivings organizations had with them.
While premiums to purchase recycled
paper are dwindling in most product
categories, this integrated approach to
measuring your recycling activities will
easily show that the overall system saves
money.
As more companies buy recycled, they
contribute to the demand for these
products and help bring down the
prices, so that premiums will truly
become a thing of the past.
For More Information
Contact the California Integrated Waste Management Board’s Waste Prevention
Information Exchange at:
♦ Phone: (916) 255-INFO
♦ Fax: (916) 255-4580
♦ E-mail: [email protected]
♦ World Wide Web: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/mrt/wpw/wpmain.htm
Page 62
MEASURING SUCCESS #3
Determining Savings from Paper Waste
Reduction Programs
The resources mentioned in this
fact sheet are available (or coming
soon) from the California
Integrated Waste Management
Board (CIWMB).
of an office and the rationales for paper
efficiency, including savings in disposal
costs,
FOR BUSINESSES IMPLEMENTING A
WASTE PREVENTION PROGRAM
Business Waste Prevention
Quantification Methodologies.
A guide and computer software has
been developed by UCLA. These
materials will provide easy-to-use
formulas to calculate diversion amounts
in tonnage for various business waste
prevention activities, including office
paper reduction, packaging and pallet
reduction and reuse, toner cartridge
remanufacturing, cafeteria/food service
reusable serviceware, and office supply
reuse and donation. [Developed by UCLA
and U.S. EPA. For further information
contact Eugene Tseng at UCLA (818) 8898628].
Useful Facts for Your Paper
Efficient Office. Typical weights,
sizes, and sheets per ton of paper and
typical assumptions used to estimate
usage and reduction. Information on
thickness, production energy,
terminology, costs, and how to increase
efficiency. A matrix with per-sheet
costs for imaging, purchase and
disposal, shipping, and cost of labor.
[Developed by Bruce Nordman from
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
(LBNL), 2 pp.]
For Businesses That Want to
Improve Their Waste Prevention.
(Source: Bruce Nordman from LBNL)
Paper Efficiency: Energy and
Beyond. How paper is the core image
Page 63
energy usage, time, dollars, and
production. Statistics on paper
production in the U.S., worldwide, and
in several classifications and grades
(e.g., first class mail, photocopies,
business forms); costs per ton and sheet
for various services (e.g., photocopying,
first class mail, paper purchase, waste
hauling); improving paper efficiency;
and the latest in office equipment to
improve paper efficiency. 4 pp.
Paper Thickness. How to improve
paper efficiency by reducing the mass of
paper per unit. Includes history,
barriers, basis weights, benefits, testing,
kenaf, and other alternative fibers, and
18-lb paper. Charts include statistics
comparing bond papers (mass, book,
percentage of opacity, bulk, and
thickness), and paper guidelines and
specifications (e.g., basis weight, fiber
composition, fusing compatibility,
moisture content, and pH). [10 pp.]
Paper Source Reduction “Tips.”
Practical tips covering copying, printers,
paper reuse, forms, faxing, electronics,
envelopes, mailing/shipping, and
mechanisms. Includes benefits,
suggested slogans, and interesting facts
about paper and printing. [3 pp.]
Case Studies of Office Paper
Efficiency. Data sources include
Nissan Motors, Legacy Health Systems
(Portland, Ore.), Adobe Systems, Inc.,
Itasca County (Minn.), Rivertown
Trading Company, Target, Lawrence
Berkeley Labs, and others. Charts of
paper efficiency measures (summary),
paper case study measures and sources,
and specific company profiles and
significant statistics. [16 pp.]
Page 64
Paper Grade and Type Names.
Definitions and characteristics of such
categories as:
•
Printing and writing paper
•
Groundwood
•
Free sheet
•
Coated
•
Uncoated
•
Form bond
•
Business forms
Also defined and characterized are:
•
Computer printout paper
•
Copy papers
•
Bond
•
Business
•
Office
•
Plain
•
White papers
•
Cut size
For More Information
Contact Bruce Nordman for more
information or updates to the above
series of technical references.
Bruce Nordman
Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory
1 Cyclotron Road
90-4000
Berkeley, CA 94720
Phone: 510-486-7089
Fax: 510-486-4673
E-mail: [email protected]
World Wide Web:
http://eande.lbl.gov/EAP/BEA/Pe
ople/
b_nordman.html
Miscellaneous (Paper). Contains
information on:
•
Printer toner cartridges and the
savings realized in recharging
them.
•
Fillers, repulping loss, and
conversion scrap paper energy
and cost; default duplexing in
practice.
•
Paper hints.
•
Information about paper waste.
•
Trees saved per ton.
•
Printing to disk not the printer.
•
Estimating the energy impact of
recycled-content paper.
Includes charts of total costs for office
paper: electronic printers, machine
costs, and fax machines. [7 pp.]
Page 65
PURCHASING #1
RECYCLED PAPER:
THE MORE I SEE YOU, THE MORE I LIKE YOU!
Many of us have met someone who makes a lousy first impression. If we’re
open-minded, we give them a second chance. Sometimes we’re pleasantly
surprised to learn we were way off base.
For some of you, this is the story of your experience with recycled paper. No
one will ever convince you it’s a good thing unless they honestly
acknowledge its early lack of grace. So think of the following as before and
after shots of the recycled paper makeover—an historical perspective of then
and now.
THEN
NOW
TYPES OF
PAPER
In 1976, there were few recycled
papers to choose from. They were
mostly book, text, and cover grades.
There was no recycled copy paper
or coated paper.
Today, there are over 400 recycled
papers in virtually every grade.
RECYCLED
CONTENT
In 1976, almost all recycled content
in fine printing and writing papers
(FPWP) was preconsumer pulp
substitutes, including mill waste.
There was pressure throughout the
‘80s to include postconsumer
content in FPWP, especially from
California’s state government
procurement law. It allowed a State
price preference for paper with at
least 50 percent recycled/10 percent
postconsumer content. By the early
‘90s, most mills made FPWP
containing at least 10 percent
postconsumer recycled materials.
Many mills are increasing the
postconsumer content in their FPWP
to 20 percent or higher, thanks to
President Clinton’s Executive Order
#12873 in October 1993. It requires
federal agencies to buy paper with at
least 20 percent postconsumer
content. Government agencies often
set procurement trends, which are
followed by the business community
at large.
QUALITY
Many recycled papers sold in the
early ‘80s were in the
developmental stage, and
sometimes it showed. Printers
complained about linting, dusting,
picking, limpness and other
problems. Customers complained
about jamming and splotches.
Now recycled papers are made by the
best paper mills in the world. Many
high quality recycled papers are on
the market. Recycled papers perform
competitively with virgin sheets in
printing presses, copiers, laser
printers, computers, inserters, and
most other paper equipment.
Page 66
AESTHETICS
Recycled paper used to come in tan,
brown, and spotted brown.
Now it comes in bright white,
creams, and a wide palette of colors.
“Ecology spots” of the past are
much less frequent, with improved
deinking systems. Ironically, the
flecked look of early recycled papers
has become so popular, mills now
add the spots back to otherwise
clean sheets. Even virgin papers are
copying this look.
PAPER MILLS
Recycled paper cannot exist without
the mills and equipment to produce
it. In 1976, there were more than a
dozen printing and writing mills with
deinking systems. By the ‘80s, many
closed, either because of outdated
systems or because the mills were
bought by virgin paper companies
that abandoned deinking.
By the end of the 1980s, pulping
technology companies made
significant breakthroughs. Crucial
was the new ability to deink laser
and copier toner. The President’s
Executive Order in 1993 sparked
new high-grade deinking projects all
over the country. Since then, at least
10 new projects have started up or
soon will.
In 1976, only specialty distributors
carried recycled paper.
Now, recycled paper is available
from virtually every paper
distributor around the country
PAPER
RECOVERY
In 1976, there was little postconsumer
paper collected. Typically, the only
office paper collected was computer
printout (CPO), and nearly all of that
went to tissue mills, not to printing
and writing paper mills. The rest of
the office paper was “contaminated”
with copier toner, which couldn’t be
cleaned by the deinking systems of
the time. (Except some was used for
paper products that didn’t require
deinking, e.g., industrial grade paper
towels.) By the late ‘80s, some
systems could cautiously accept clean
white office papers. But people still
had to sort out plastic window
envelopes and colored paper.
Most large companies have office
paper collection systems, and
recovered paper dealers are
scrambling to develop new
postconsumer sources. Most
deinking systems can handle laser
and copier toner, plastic windows,
and most colored paper.
GOVERNMEN
Although the federal government
passed the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA) in 1976, it took
12 years until the US-EPA came out
with guidelines for printing and
writing paper, which the recycling
industry challenged as too weak.
Several states passed price preference
and set-aside laws for recycled paper,
including California. These laws
drove recycled paper development
until the early ‘90s.
By the early ‘90s, all 50 states had
adopted some form of legislation or
executive order favoring recycled
paper. The federal government
stepped back into firm leadership with
the President’s Executive Order.
AND
DEINKING
SYSTEMS
DISTRIBUTOR
S
T
LEADERSHIP
Page 67
WE’VE COME
A LONG WAY .
..
. . .in 20 years. . .
. . . but there’s still a ways to go.
Recycled papers still make up only a
small segment of the paper business.
Buying products made from paper
collected in recycling programs is
the linchpin that holds together the
entire recycling system. The
impressive progress to date makes
possible the achievement of the
larger goal: to integrate recovered
paper into our paper production
system in as environmentally sound
a manner as possible.
Your local paper supplier can help you touch and feel the newest in recycled paper—to
see for yourself what high-quality products now bear the recycled logo. For more
information on buying recycled, contact the Buy Recycled Section at the California
Integrated Waste Management Board at 916-255-2708.
NOTE: Most of the information in this fact sheet was derived from the article, “The State of the
(Recycled Paper) World” from Conservatree’s Greenline newsletter. The article appeared in the
April 1996, 20th anniversary issue. This material is quoted by permission. For information on
subscribing to Greenline, contact Conservatree, 10 Lombard St., Suite 200, San Francisco, CA
94111 or phone: 415-433-1000, ext. 24.
Page 68
PURCHASING #2
SAMPLE WASTE PREVENTION POLICY AND
RESOLUTION
Offices can use this sample waste prevention resolution and policy to develop
their own in-house policies and company resolutions.
CIWMB In-House Waste Prevention Policy
As part of its overall integrated approach to waste management, it is the policy of the
California Integrated Waste Management Board to implement cost-effective waste
prevention practices in all of its in-house and external operations. Specifically, except
where prohibited by State law, regulations, or pre-existing contracts, the Board shall:
1. Maintain or increase the level of paper reduction attained in 1994 (25 percent).
2. Purchase photocopiers with a duplex function designed for heavy loads.
3. Purchase computer printers that have double-sided printing capability.
4. Maintain all copiers and printers so that all functions are in full working order.
5. Double-side all documents and communications except where necessary in the case
of master documents or where equipment is unable to perform this function
reliably.
6. Encourage use of paper used on one side in fax machines and as an optional paper
in copiers, except where specifically prohibited by equipment warranties, and for
scratch paper and pads.
7. Assure that electronic systems, including individual and network software, are
always set up to allow for default double-sided copying.
8. Require that all proposed changes in procedures, formatting, the computer network,
any software, and documents be reviewed for their impact on waste generation and
that adjustments be made to the proposed changes if necessary to minimize any
waste generation.
9. Encourage internal documents to be submitted with minor legible handwritten
corrections.
10. Practice waste prevention in all procurement decisions.
11. Operate in a facility that maximizes waste prevention in its custodial, maintenance,
and landscaping practices.
12. Maintain and require that Board staff are to use a centralized mailing system.
13. Purchase only useful promotional items which further waste reduction.
14. Actively pursue reducing the size and number of all documents and Board
informational publications through streamlining and format revisions.
Page 69
15. Implement other waste prevention practices as deemed appropriate.
Page 70
CALIFORNIA INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT BOARD
RESOLUTION NO. 95-265
Adopted March 29, 1995
WHEREAS, the California Integrated Waste Management Board (Board) is required to
promote waste prevention (source reduction) as the priority waste management
practice; and
WHEREAS, the Board is required to maximize the use of all feasible waste prevention,
recycling, and composting options in order to reduce the amount of solid waste that
must be disposed; and
WHEREAS, the Board, in response to these and other statutory mandates that require
the Board to promote statewide waste prevention, recycling, and composting, has
developed a Statewide Waste Prevention Plan and is implementing a state facilities
recycling program; and
WHEREAS, the Board recognizes that waste prevention offers a great potential to
reduce waste, but is a relatively underdeveloped approach because it competes with
better known traditional waste management practices that rely on managing discards,
such as recycling; and
WHEREAS, the Board fully intends to lead the way in reducing the generation of solid
waste in California; and
WHEREAS, the Board adopted and implemented an In-House Waste Prevention Policy
and Plan to provide leadership though example and serve as a case study; and
WHEREAS, the Board recognizes that the results of implementing the In-House Waste
Prevention Plan demonstrate that the in-house waste prevention effort should continue
and certain changes should be made to improve the In-House Waste Prevention Policy.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board adopts the following revised
In-House Waste Prevention Policy and:
• Directs its Executive Director to implement this policy; and
• Directs its Executive Director to issue an executive order which encourages managers
to allow minor handwritten corrections on internal documents; and
• Directs staff to investigate ways to reduce purchases of unneeded items by state
agencies especially at the end of the fiscal year; and
• Directs staff to actively look for ways to reduce the number of copies and size of all
written material printed and distributed by the Board because this offers the greatest
form of savings (including both cost of copying and mailing); and
Directs staff to implement a tracking system to ensure that all copier break-downs are
recorded and responded to within 24 hours by May 31, 1995; and
• Directs staff to implement centralized mailing list by fall, 1995; and
• Directs Waste Prevention and Project Recycle staff to identify two receptive state
offices to test the feasbility of the office waste prevention model. This will be done in
conjunction with the Statewide Waste Reduction Training Program utilizing Project
Recycle's established network.
Page 71
PURCHASING #3
COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS POLICY
RELATING TO WASTE REDUCTION AND RECYCLING
IN COUNTY FACILITIES
THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA is committed to conservation of resources
and protection of the environment through effective planning and
participation in programs to reduce, reuse, recycle, and dispose of discarded
materials. To encourage active participation by County Government in
meeting state-mandated efforts to reduce waste by 50 percent by the year 2000,
to reduce waste produced by County facilities, and to increase use of products
containing post-consumer waste materials, County managers shall:
1. Assure that all County operations are conducted in a manner that protects the
environment, employees, the public, and conserves materials and resources.
2. Seek opportunities to reduce waste, reuse materials, and recycle waste generated by
County operations.
3. Assure that purchasing standards, processes, and service specifications support the
use of products and supplies that contain recycled content and reduce the creation
of waste.
4. Consider the cost of and impacts on County waste generation when developing
programs, purchasing equipment, and selecting supplies.
5. Establish an expectation that employees will participate in waste reduction and
recycling programs as part of their regular work procedures.
6. Provide training for employees on requirements for full participation in recycling
programs and on their responsibility for and role in reducing the negative impact of
County operations upon the environment.
7. Encourage employees to be innovative and flexible in using County resources; to
develop and expand County facility programs for waste reduction, reuse, recycling,
and the purchase of products with recycled content.
8. Share ideas and accomplishments with other departments and assist in solving
problems.
9. All departments shall work cooperatively to further the purposes of this policy.
Adopted May 9, 1995