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IF YOU LOVE TREES - SAVE PAPER

© Linda Little

If you check my profile you will see that I am lucky. I live in an area with an abundance of trees. However, most of us will have experienced the beauty of trees at one time or another, either on holiday or when visiting a local park.

Trees are cut down for their wood. At home this wood is used for three main things: building, furnishing or paper. Today I want to talk about paper. (For more information about furniture buying and building materials see my article "LESS WOOD, MORE WOODS")

In the past parchment was very expensive. Because of this, it was only used sparingly and none of it was wasted. Now that paper is produced in bulk and much more cheaply, wasting paper is commonplace. This means more land is being used to grow tree crops for paper pulp, more paper mills and less broadleaf forests as these give way to the more valuable commercial crops.

What can I do about this?

1. Use both sides of the paper:
   Always write or print on both sides of the paper - this idea alone will save a large percentage of the paper that you are using.
   
2. Reuse of one-sided paper:
   If you receive paper printed on one side through the post, once you have finished with it, reuse it for notes or rough drafts on the computer.
   
3. Keep information digital:
   Keep data on the computer and back-up electronically. Do not print everything out.
   
4. Reuse envelopes:
   Cut envelopes carefully with a paper knife and buy address labels so that you can reuse them.
   
5. Take your name off mailing lists:
   Write to advertisers that send you unwanted written material and ask to be taken off their mailing list.
   
6. Recycled content of newspapers:
   Write to your local paper and ask them how much recycled material they use in their paper. (It is perfectly possible to use up to 80% recycled material without deterioration of the product.
   
7. Reuse wrapping paper:
   Unwrap presents carefully and reuse the wrapping paper.
   
8. Send e-cards:
   Send them to friends and family members who have Internet access. At Care2.com they have lovely animated cards which are absolutely free and when you use a donation is made to an animal charity.

All of the above are simple enough ideas but they will make a real difference. As an added bonus they will also save you money. Saving the world as well as making a profit - can't be bad.