| Did you know that paper occupies 70% of our | | | | internet, then it is faster and more reliable. No |
| landfills? Yes, this is a very inconvenient truth and | | | | more paper jams, inks, toners. And of course, |
| what's more inconvenient is the fact that paper | | | | you can choose which documents should be |
| can take more than half a decade to decompose | | | | printed and which are not. |
| when it is thrown in landfills. As a matter of fact, | | | | 3. Require your students to submit their |
| a newspaper that has been published during the | | | | assignments using recycled paper. This does not |
| 1960's can even be read up till today if it is put | | | | mean, of course, that they have to create their |
| and trashed in a landfill. | | | | own recycled paper for their assignment. A |
| Did you also know that schools are one of the | | | | recycled paper can be an old photocopy or any |
| biggest "paper spenders"?This is a known fact and | | | | other paper who has a print on the other side. |
| we can't deny it. So how do you help conserve | | | | You can have your students write their |
| our planet by not filling our landfills with paper? | | | | assignment on the blank page or the other side. |
| Here are some suggestions for the academic | | | | 4. Put a "paper box" in every classroom or along |
| world: | | | | the hallway. This box will be especially for trash or |
| 1. Go easy on paper. Print only what you need to | | | | garbage that is made of paper. Every Friday or |
| print. This goes to offices who spend a lot of | | | | Wednesday (or any other day of the week), the |
| paper printing documents which may have been | | | | paper boxes are emptied and the paper that is |
| otherwise reviewed and edited on the computer | | | | collected should be dropped off to the nearest |
| via transmission of soft copies. For instance, if | | | | recycling facility where each paper will be |
| you are a teacher and you want your exam to | | | | de-molecularized and manufactured into a new |
| be approved and edited by the dean, you can | | | | sheet of paper. |
| send your boss the softcopy of your exam and | | | | 5. Encourage a paper drive. Have various student |
| when it is edited and reviewed, then that's when | | | | organizations participate in the paper drive and |
| you have it printed for multiple reproduction. | | | | make it seem like a contest. Each organization will |
| 2. Use online fax. Instead of using big old traditional | | | | be encouraged to donate old papers and this will |
| fax machines, why not subscribe to online fax | | | | be collected every Friday. During this day, the |
| instead? Online fax is fast, cheap and very | | | | papers will be weighed and anyone who reaches |
| convenient. Online fax harnesses the power of | | | | at least 5 kilos gets one point. At the end of the |
| the internet to send and receive fax messages | | | | school year, the group who has the highest score |
| using your email system. Since it is done via the | | | | will be provided with incentives. |