After starting my own eco-consultant business this past year, my eyes opened up at the amount of waste Americans go through each year. I wanted to see how much paper my company used. After doing a little research, I was amazed at the amount of office paper we consumed last year. We used approximately 9,700 reams of 8 ½ x 11 paper last year. That’s equivalent to $31,008.29. That’s a lot of paper. Below are some astonishing facts about office waste paper.
- If you were to eliminate office paper from your waste stream, you could cut your waste bill by 50% or more.
- For every ton of recycled paper it can save up to 17 trees.
- The paper industry ranks 4th in contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute 9% of the manufacturing sector’s carbon emissions.
- If the U.S could cut office paper use by just 10% it would prevent the emission of 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gases (the equivalent of taking 280,000 cars off the road).
- One year’s worth of the New York Times newspaper weighs 520 pounds. To print a Sunday edition of the NYT it takes 75,000 trees.
- With all the office paper we waste every year we could build a 12-foot high wall of paper from New York to California.
- The average American attorney uses 1 ton of paper every year.
- Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 682.5 gallons of oil (think about that next time you’re standing at the pump).
- American consumers receive 41 pounds of junk mail per year.
- US offices create 12.1 trillion sheets of paper per year.
- 40% of the solid mass in landfills is paper and paperboard waste.
- More than 100 million trees are destroyed each year to produce junk mail.
- Paper usage is rising by around 20% every year, with the average office worker using approximately 50 sheets of paper every day in the typical office.
Your mind is probably swirling with the amount of info I just provided, but ask yourself one simple question: What can I do today to reduce the amount of paper I use at home and at the office?
Luckily, Green Irene is here to help you figure out simple steps that you can take to help your office significantly reduce paper use. You can learn more by signing up for an Ask Green Irene membership. By becoming a member, you’ll have access to a wealth of green knowledge, including specific things you can do to substantially reduce paper waste. So, what are you waiting for? Ask Green Irene today!
Jim Armbrust, Green Irene Eco-Consultant in Harrisburg, PA
717-215-4030
