Paper Recycling Campaign

California is faced with the challenge of managing nearly 14 million tons of post-consumer paper generated annually in the State. In 1997, only 31 percent of that paper was recovered for recycling, with the remainder (approximately 9.5 million tons) disposed—primarily in landfills.

Because generation of paper continues to increase, recycling alone will not necessarily reduce the amount of paper sent to landfills. All sectors of society -manufacturers, schools, businesses, government organizations, and private residents- must also reduce the amounts of paper we use. Calabasas residents, too, can benefit economically by reducing paper use.

Paper Reduction Tips...

In 2003, recyclable office paper represented over 9% of the paper disposed in California, amounting to approximately 785,147 tons, with over 58 percent from commercial sources! Paper is the second largest component of commercial waste stream, accounting for about 26.5 % of all commercial materials disposed. Furthermore, the commercial sector accounts for approximately 47 % of all materials disposed in the state. Below are quick tips for using less paper and saving money for your office.

• Adopt a "Double-Sided" Policy
  Consider adopting an organizational policy that will ensure all individual documents are printed on both sides of the page.

• Minor Hand Written Corrections are OK
  Consider adopting an in-house policy allowing internal documents to be submitted with minor legible handwritten corrections. This means it is okay to make neat handwritten corrections to fix typos and punctuation errors, add a word or delete one, on documents you give to your managers, so long as the document is for internal use.

• Set Computer Defaults to Print Double-Sided
  Set up computer software for default two-sided printing including word processing, spreadsheets, electronic mail, and others.

• Preview Documents Before Printing
  Proofread documents on screen before printing. Don't forget to use the speller/grammar function to detect errors.

• Print Only the Pages You Need
  You just got back that 20-page report you wrote and there are changes to make on pages 2, 3, 4, 7, and 15. After making the changes, do you print out the whole document? If yes, consider instead printing only the pages you need. Most software programs provide this option under the print function. Consult your information management staff or your software guidebook if you are unsure of how to print selected document pages.

• Provide Trays to Collect and Reuse One-Sided Paper
  Encourage students and employees to save and reuse paper printed on only one side. Collect paper that has been printed on one side for reuse in copiers and fax machines. Also, use the one-sided paper to make scratch pads.

• Provide Trays to Collect and Reuse Envelopes and File Folders
  Encourage reuse of large envelopes and file folders by providing centrally located trays for their collection.

• Send Information Electronically
  Use e-mail for forms, document transmittals and faxes. Think carefully before printing electronic information.

• Reduce Unwanted Mail
  Contact mail senders to take your company's name off their mailing list.

• Eliminate Excess Mailings
  Trim mailing lists used to send information to your customers.  Give customers opportunities to indicate if and how often they want to receive information. Your customers will appreciate your efforts to minimize unwanted or duplicated mailings.

• Print Envelopes without Labels
  Save the cost of buying mailing labels and eliminate the waste associated with those labels by printing addresses directly on envelopes.

• Route Memos and Newsletters Electronically
  Instead of making a copy for each person, route one copy around the office or simply route memos and newsletters electronically.

• Post Paper Reduction Reminders by Printers and Copiers
  Remind people to copy double-sided by posting reminders near the copiers, using interesting posters or entertaining.