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Reduce, reuse, recycle and buy responsibly this World Paper Day

Paper is something we rarely stop to think about, but it’s an incredibly precious resource.

It may surprise you to learn that on average, every person in Europe uses more than two pieces of paper per hour which equates to between 250 and 300 kilos of paper every year1.

To coincide with the celebrations for World Paper Day on November 1, we’ve selected some simple ways you can reduce, reuse, recycle and procure paper responsibly both in the office and at home.

Reduce

  • Hot desking – removing set desks is a great way to keep paper use to a minimum. It’s much harder to amass a collection of papers if you’re sitting in a different seat each day.

  • Go paperless - both in the office and at home, check you have changed all your bills to paperless and pay them online or by phone. Most companies will make this easy for you to do as it is more cost-efficient to email a bill and it avoids the risk of mail being lost in the post.

  • Change your morning routine - Europeans are renowned for their love of coffee. When you’re grabbing your morning fix – avoid paper cups as they are less environmentally friendly. Buy a reusable one and take it with you, many retailers also offer a discount to customers who bring their own cup.

Reuse

  • Upcycle - paper is a fantastic resource for crafting and can be transformed into many new items including wreaths, decorations, vases, boxes, bowls, lamps and so much more. Visit Brother’s Creative Centre website [LOs to insert hyperlink] for more inspiration.
       
  • Shop smart - choose materials that can be reused. For example, instead of opting for paper towels, use cloths that you can wash and reuse multiple times. There are a lot of environmentally friendly versions available, made from materials including bamboo.

Used paper has been recycled and repurposed to craft environmentally friendly sustainable hanging decorations

Recycle

  • Separate and recycle - did you know that each tonne (1,000kgs) of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 1,700 litres of oil, 2.3  cubic feet of landfill space, 4,000 kilowatts of energy, and 31,822 litres of water?2  Making this small change to your routine and being more conscious about recycling paper, can have a big impact on the environment.
  • Have a clear-out - both in the workplace and in the home, you can recycle any old files taking up space and digitise documents and records. Scanning documents to your system eliminates the need of having paper taking up vast space on your desk. The mantra of clear desk, clear mind, will make you feel positive about your revamped workspace.  

 

Procure

 

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