No page left blank: Collect clean one-sided paper


Photo: Paper

Problem: From spreadsheets to drafts graphs and reports, labs can end up printing hundreds of pages per day. Many of these pages are used for a couple of days and then thrown out with one side unused.

Solution: Use double-sided printers if available, or collect single-sided paper in departmental office, your own office, and at copier stations in your building. When purging file cabinets this is an excellent opportunity to stockpile reusable paper. If you stack it neatly, others will likely remove the staples. Invite others to use it and keep it neat.

Cost: There will be an occasional paper jam due to folds or tears and you should remember to never include confidential documents in the paer re-use pile.

Benefit: Most printers handle pre-printed paper effortlessly and the paper is free. Also each page reused saves ~0.2 liters of water.

More information on paper reduction. See the best estimates of your resource savings.