Week 17 - TIMBER!!!!!

I often see people sitting by their mailboxes, combing through their cache of mail. If they are anything like me, I know what they are doing. They are making piles. One, a little pile, with maybe 2 or 3 pieces of what we consider necessary mail and two, a humongous pile of useless, unwanted, invasive junk! I hate the mail for this very reason. I actually feel my privacy is being invaded and my time infringed upon because I am forced to weed through a bunch of stuff I didn’t request.

But junk mail isn’t the only way we waste one of our most valuable resources - trees. According to Conservatree.com “the average American uses an astonishing 730 pounds of paper product a year. Unfortunately, a scant 5 percent of our national paper consumption is currently made from recycled pulp.” When it comes to paper, we are once again, gluttons (didn’t I say that about gas? Hmm, I’m seeing a trend). Why are we so wasteful? Is it because we have access to too many things without any limits? Have we just forgotten the fact, things don’t always last?
Whatever the answers, I’ve found some painless ways to turn this around!

JUNK MAIL

NativeForest.org's facts on junk mail:

• The average person gets only 1.5 personal letters each week, compared to 10.8 pieces of junk mail.
• Each person will receive almost 560 pieces of junk mail this year. That's 4.5 million tons of junk mail produced each year!
• 44% of all junk mail is thrown in the trash, unopened and unread.
• Approximately 40% of the solid mass that makes up our landfills is paper and paperboard waste.
• By the year 2010, it is predicted to make up about 48%.
• 100 million trees are ground up each year to produce junk mail.
• Lists of names and addresses used in bulk mailings are in mass data-collection networks, compiled from phone books, warranty cards, and charity donations (to name a few).
• Your name is typically worth 3 to 20 cents each time it is sold.

The following is a list of websites that can help you reduce the amount of junk mail you receive.

Dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist ($1.00 fee) - removes you from direct marketing lists
Directmail.com (free)
Optoutprescreen.com (free; opts you out of credit card offers)
NativeForest.org

Keep in mind every time you enter a sweepstakes, fill out and submit a warranty card, or register for a grocery store’s reward card, you are being added to a list. Indicate right on the card/form you do not wish to have your information sold.

It may take a few months, but you should eventually see a decrease in the amount of junk mail you receive.

BUY RECYCLED PAPER PRODUCTS

The book Worldchanging: A User’s Guide to the 21st Century, states “it takes 40% less energy to make paper from recycled stock than from virgin materials”. Thegreenguide.com describes paper made from trees as creating a “double environmental burden”. The first from deforestation and the second from the papers subsequent toxic bleaching process. What does this mean? It means, buy paper products made from paper, not from trees.

There are 2 key things to look for:

1. Look for goods that have the highest Post Consumer Waste (PCW) content. The percentage of PCW in a recycled product refers to the amount of pulp derived from paper that was used by consumers and then recycled. This saves trees and promotes the use of recycled paper.
   
2. Look for products labeled Processed Chlorine Free (PCF). This means that no additional chlorine or chlorine derivatives have been used to bleach the final recycled product.

Also, don’t be confused by the recycling symbol on a particular package. This can be a marketing ploy and may just mean their product packaging is recyclable. Don’t just look at the symbol, read the label too.

NEWSPAPERS

• Recycle it - Americans throw away 44 million newspapers every day. That's 500,000 trees a week.
• Read it online.
• Ask your local newspaper to print on recycled paper.

THE COMPUTER

• Buy recycled paper.
• Print on both sides.
• Only print your final copy - an easy way to cut the amount of paper that goes into the trash or recycle bin is to perfect all of your documents before you print them. Run grammar and spell check to eliminate careless mistakes, and then preview your document in print preview.
• Use discarded paper for scrap paper. Keep a bin by the desk and encourage your kids to use that paper for all their arts and craft projects.
• Where appropriate, send e-mails and e-greetings instead of letters and cards.
• Pay your bills online - you save on envelopes (trees) and stamps (money and trees).
• Request e-statements from your bank.
• Sign-up for e-billing from your utility companies, banks, credit card companies and any other service companies.

IN THE KITCHEN

• Use less paper towel and napkins. Wipe spills with cloths and use cloth napkins. (I’m not certain how this pans out. Yes you use less paper thereby saving trees and the energy used to make them. However, you use water and energy to repeatedly wash the cloths. Hmm?). Marcal brand (found in several grocery stores) makes napkins and paper towel from recycled paper and do so at comparable prices. Seventh Generation has a line of paper products made from recycled paper. They can be found at groceries, health food stores and online. They are pricier.
• Limit your use of paper plates and cups. If you have to use them, opt for those made from recycled paper. Also, look for brands (like Chinet) that will decompose in your compost bin.

IN THE BATHROOM - Purchase toilet paper and tissue made from recycled paper.

AT THE ATM - Don’t print out a receipt. Here are the benefits according to idealbite.com:

• Less litter. Receipts from the 8 billion ATM transactions each year in the United States create a lotta waste.
• Easy access. You can view all your transactions on your bank's website, and some stores, such as Apple, will send an e-receipt to your email.
• Peace of mind. Misplaced receipts can help identity thieves steal your info.

FOR SCHOOL - School will be starting again in about a month.

• Purchase school supplies made from recycled materials whenever you can.
• Encourage your child’s school to use recycled paper products.

A FEW OTHER THINGS

• Think about whether or not you really require a phone book. If not, call and cancel it. If you do need one, ensure you recycle them yearly.
• Use your shredded junk mail as packing materials ( I used some of ours when I put away the Christmas ornaments last year).
• Money talks. Support businesses that use recycled materials.

I believe it’s possible to make a change in at least one of these areas. But if you do nothing else, recycle your paper and together we can save a lot of trees!